Travel As An Opportunity For Connection
Written by Erika Macias
Oftentimes, as we go about the business of living our lives, we can become disconnected from ourselves and from the people around us. We go to work, pay the bills, go to the grocery store, drop the kids off at practice - the list goes on and on. This is the stuff of life, so no judgement here. However, it’s incumbent on us to check in with ourselves and with the people we love on a more consistent basis. What do we want to accomplish in this life? How are we feeling as we go along on our life path? In what ways do we feel we need more support? In what ways can we better show up for those around us? These are all important questions, but they often get shoved to the back burner. Why? Because there is no time. It’s not practical to stop and ask these more esoteric questions when there’s a life being lived here. The irony of this way of thinking is significant. This is how we’re taught to exist, so we don’t often stop to consider if there’s another way. The truth is there are many other ways to live and there are multiple ways to get to those alternate paths. I’d like to discuss a specific opportunity to slow down and consider those alternate paths - travel.
At first glance, travel doesn’t seem like the obvious choice for slowing down and considering how we can show up for ourselves and for those around us in a more significant way, but hear me out. Traveling is actually a perfect time to reassess our lives and the direction we’d like to head in. Why? Because we’re completely outside of our everyday lives. There is no work to do, there are no bills to pay, and there are no errands to run. All of those things are temporarily put on pause so we can enjoy the moment and be in the present. What a gift!! And, yes, it’s a privilege to be able to go on vacation, so let’s talk about how we can maximize that gift by taking the opportunity to connect to self and to our loved ones. You may be thinking, ‘Are you kidding? I don’t have a second to breathe while on vacation!’ Well, even if your trip will be, ‘go, go, go’ from start to finish, let me encourage you to find moments in your day to go inward and connect to who we are at this moment in time. Let’s connect to our curiosity about those traveling with us and who they are at this moment in time. We often think of ourselves and of our loved ones in certain way. Like we’re frozen in time, but that’s not actually how life works. We keep changing and evolving, even if we’re not fully aware of it. Those around us keep changing and evolving too and we sometimes don’t get to enjoy the richness of that change, because we keep them in the box of who they used to be.
I recently had an opportunity to spend two weeks with my mom - just her and I. We traveled to Europe for our first river cruise with AmaWaterways. We saw Switzerland, France, Germany and the Netherlands. It was wonderful! Truly! We ate every meal together. We explored every new place with eagerness and gusto. We laughed - a lot - and it was a beautiful experience. As it happened, I was going through a major transition in my life at that time. There was nothing like having that uninterrupted time to just connect with her. I made a decision to take the opportunity to trust her with my truth. She fully embraced me and accepted me for who I am. The point is, I made an intentional choice to connect with my mom and she took me up on that offer.
We’re already making plans to go on another European river cruise in a few months. Yes, the trip itself was magical, but I think the real magic was in our connection. That moment in time where we weren’t mother and daughter. We were two women experiencing life from a particular point of view and we were learning. We were learning about each other and about ourselves. I don’t regret a second of it. I know it was a pivotal point in our relationship and in our lives. Travel provided the space for that to happen. If you’re wondering how a person can connect to self and to those around us, well my suggestion is curiosity. Let’s ask questions of ourselves and let’s ask questions of our loved ones. Let’s be gentle when we get honest answers, so we can encourage continued trust and openness. If we come into these moments of deep connection with the attitude of discovery, then we’re likely to learn something new. If we’ve decided we already know ourselves and those around us, then, likely, nothing new will be learned. But it can be so wonderful to truly know those that we love! We are all so complicated and layered - and that’s beautiful!
Personally, one of my deepest hopes is to be truly known and loved for who I am - not for what I’m supposed to be or for what others want me to be - but for who I am down deep in my soul. So my encouragement today is that we create opportunities for this kind of connection. Travel doesn’t have to be a trip around the world. It can be exploring the county over from where you live. Put thought in to it. What kind of adventure can I get into thirty minutes away from home? And, hey, if that’s not really your strength, guess what, People Mover Travel can do that for you!! It’s what we do! Send us a quote request and see what we can come up with for you! And, hey, if you want to take a trip around the world, we can help with that too! Either way, here’s hoping that there can be more connection, love, adventure, and acceptance in all of our lives. Why not!
Erika grew up in Southern California, so the magic of Disneyland has been a part of her life since she was a little girl. Both as a child and as an adult, she has always been drawn to the whimsey and imagination that are found in the Disney parks. Erika fulfilled a lifelong dream in 2008 when she visited Walt Disney World for the first time. She was blown away by the range and adventure offered in those parks. Since then, she and her family have visited Disney World every year. In particular, she loves Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park where she is transported to an exotic jungle with lush greenery and colorful birds flying overhead! Aside from Disney, cruising is her favorite way to travel. She finds cruising allows for both rest and adventure all in one trip!
If you want to work with Erika to plan your next great adventure to a Disney Park, on a cruise or beyond you can fill out a quote form here!