For Satisfaction, Shake it Up: 5 Ways Travel Leads to Fulfillment
It’s true that variety is the spice of life – otherwise we get too comfortable and complacent – so if you want to find new sources of inspiration, you’ve got to shake it up occasionally, explore and experiment beyond your comfort zone. As another long New England winter winds down, I recently shook things up with a trip to Iceland.
Your spice might take a different form, but for me, travel – especially travel to places known for their natural splendor – is one of my favorite ways to have new experiences. Touring this northern island with amazingly diverse natural landscapes, I was reminded of the ways that exploring a new place and its attendant experiences can enhance satisfaction and fulfillment in life.
- A break from old habits
Especially after a long winter of being indoors with prescribed routines, travel to another country (even though it, too, was in the midst of winter) breaks habitual thinking and behavior. Making and changing touring plans, eating new foods, meeting people, making decisions about schedule – all get the brain working along new pathways. Although challenging at times, it’s also stimulating and satisfying when things fall into place.
- A shift in perspectives
Being in another country, no matter how closely aligned culturally, always offers new perspectives. Observing how people live, from the basics of survival to the cultural expressions of civilization, understanding history, politics, religion, and environment – all offer the opportunity to reflect on and appreciate differences. Iceland is powered in large part by geothermal energy – which translates to warm bathroom tile floors, dependable hot showers, and acres of perfectly heated hot springs for relaxation. We visited a waterfall that rivals Niagara Falls for power but had never been developed – because the country doesn’t need it.
- The bonus of the unexpected
One of my favorite things about traveling is running into the unexpected. We experienced quite a few positives: attending an afternoon children’s performance of Peter and the Wolf in Icelandic with all music parts played on the church’s enormous organ; seeing a bride and groom taking wedding pictures on the black sand beach we visited – in the rain and fog and wind and sun; a photo shoot accompanied by a drone (sporting an extra camera? a flash?) at another visit to a waterfall; a parade of Blues Brothers cosplayers and their incredible classic cars down one of the main streets in Reykjavik. It’s all a reminder that life constantly surprises, delights, intrigues, and enlightens.
- Awe/beauty
I am inspired by the grandeur of nature, the incredible range of natural phenomena full of beauty and textures and colors and variety. There’s so much more to travel – the cultural wonders, the diversity of peoples, the wildlife – we are each inspired and awed by different aspects. New experiences can spark creativity and imagination or just engage our senses and increase enjoyment.
- Gratitude/Sharing
Breaking from the usual patterns gives us a little distance from and time to reflect on our lives. Often this reveals the positives and the gifts and comforts we might have lost sight of. Home, family, friends, work – we get a chance to recognize what we have when we step away. Having new experiences also provides an opportunity to share with others – what we learn, our enthusiasm and insights. When I travel, I love to take and share photographs as a way of capturing experience and spreading enthusiasm.
Travel is just one way of shaking up regular patterns of living. There are so many more – studying something new, trying something you’ve never done before, meeting new people and groups, changing jobs, moving, having a child, committing to a relationship…what have you done lately that gave you a new perspective on life and brought you satisfaction and fulfillment?
