…when there is so much pain in the world?

As you may have read in my last blog, I have been struggling with this question a lot of late. It is has been hard for me to put out messages and posts to encourage travel with everything going on in the world. It seems a bit out-of-touch or blasé to get excited about leisure travel, when so many are suffering. Perhaps you feel the same way as I do.

I was recently discussing this with a friend, who was in need of a trip for her own personal reasons and I was reminded that travel serves a very important purpose in our lives that actually helps us deal with the weight of the world…when we most need it.

Other than travel that is NOT by choice, I believe we need travel for three very important reasons: for connection; for healing; and for celebration (and sometimes it is a combination of these).

Travel for Connection

The need for connection is a big reason for why people travel. Humans seek connection with others for renewal and rejuvenation of spirit. Connection with others gives us purpose and community. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S and the holiday season around the world, people all over will be traveling to connect with their loved ones and be together after weeks, months or even years apart.

Oftentimes, we seek connection for better understanding of people and their cultures, or to learn something new. We also seek connection to nature, to connect us to our natural origins as humans.

I believe that getting out and connecting with others will help us to better understand and see each other, celebrate our differences and appreciate that which we have in common. Additionally, by connecting ourselves to nature we can better appreciate the biodiversity and beauty of the planet and will be motivated to want to protect it. This was my main impetus for creating Heather Lane adventures.

We still need connection…perhaps now more than ever.

Travel for Healing

Not dissimilar to travel for connection, travel can also heal the soul and mind (often, this actually requires us to disconnect). Travel for healing is the main reason why the wellness industry has seen such large increases in demand of late. As the pressure of our daily lives builds up, and as we continue to go about our days while mourning or grieving, or enduring feelings of overwhelm and stress from all that is going on in our lives, we often seek an escape and are driven on a journey to a healing place or state of mind. I have had any number of clients travel for this reason in the past year, which is a strong indication that many of us are still “going through it,” while the rest of the world clamors on.

Sometimes we just need to get away from it all.

Travel for Celebration

Let us not also forget that there is still cause for celebration: people are getting married, graduating, finishing with a long and exhausting healthcare treatments, and the list goes on. Travel can give, as well as help us to celebrate, the joy in our lives. I have heard this past year being referred to as the year of “Revenge Travel,” but I really think everyone was just celebrating being able to get out of their houses and COVID ‘bubbles’ after a long period of lock-down and confinement.

We still have cause to celebrate.

I know that this might sound a lot like a motivational sales-pitch, since I am in the business of…well, selling travel. However, that is in no way my intention. Rather, I hope this serves as a reminder to you…because I myself definitely needed it…that travel serves an important purpose:

We still need connections, more than ever before.

We still need to get away and give ourselves some breathing room.

We still need to celebrate and remind ourselves that each new day is a gift to be cherished.