Whether it's by pulling out the photo album for a quick reminisce or by putting on the full-out slide-show for friends to recreate the experience, we've all gone through the process of remembering travels through pictures. It is the images that jog our memories of what we did that day, weekend or week. The Colosseum in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the close-up of the lizard on a rock in Arizona, the possibilities are endless and all very meaningful for the one who took the picture. But are the sights really the reason for picking ourselves up, ditching the routine and hauling ourselves out the door to find adventure? Or are we in search of more than just the perfect photo op on top of Mt. Fuji?

Inherent in traveling is the idea that you are taking yourself out of your element and inviting something new into your life. The reasons for needing this injection of vitality can be varied from one person to the next. One person may be in a rut looking to jumpstart a bigger change in their life, and their trip will serve as a bookend for the ending chapter. Others may be looking to get back to theirancestral roots, to just take a break and relax, or to finally achieve that goal of seeing the great pyramids of Egypt in person. There are many instances that propel people around the world, but once you venture out, these reasons become the fuel only and not the end destination.

I can imagine that most anyone who has traveled has experienced a moment on their trip when they just feel different, though they can't really put their finger on it exactly. They will decide without much furtherthought that their content feeling is simply the effect of having a fullstomach after an incredible meal in the trattoria mentioned in their guidebook. The thrill in their gut is the natural result of having taken a ride on the fastest train in the world in Japan. Or that the sharpness of mind they feel isdirectly relating to the chill in the air as they walk back to their cabin on their cruise ship in Alaska. These conclusions are perfectly acceptable and worthwhile in their own right and should not be discounted in the least. But for those that are open to it, these factors could be seen as the messengers, so to speak,rather than the messages themselves.

New tastes, cultures and vistas have the ability to awaken something inside a person. It might be a desire that has lain dormant for some time as your life took a different direction, or it could be a brand new feeling that starts moving around and makes itself known for the first time. Even the simple decision to take a trip can have the same effect as the actitself. The expectation of"different" and "change" cannot be underestimated in terms of its rejuvenation effects on a person.With this open attitude, travel can be seen as an avenue towards personal enrichment and growth.

As travelers in a spiritual as well as a physical sense, we should delve deeper to find a more sustaining reason forthe heightened emotions that develop during trips. By doing so, not only can we experience more fully the moment we find ourselves in, we can make it more a part of ourselves and let it feed us even after the specific moment has passed. By training ourselves to notice when we are in the midst of a more profound moment, we will become more adept at doing this on a daily basis. It won't be necessary to travel miles and cultures away to find these distinct moments in time as we will be able to find this kind of happiness in the more routine aspects of our lives, leading to a more fulfilled state of being.

Learn more about this author, M. N. Miller.
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