Why Travel is Good for the Soul

There are many things one can do to get in touch with their soul and progress as a person. Meditation, yoga, and prayer have been powerful tools for me personally. However, the most life-changing and transformative thing I’ve ever done is travel. When I started visiting different places around the world, it was all about fun and adventure, which will always be the case. But I started to realize it was changing me in ways that I never even imagined were possible and singlehandedly led to my spiritual evolution. Here is why it can do the same for you too!

It will expand your perspective. We tend to all live in our little bubbles. Our views are limited to our own reality; our experiences based on our lives. We are familiar and comfortable with where we are from and our own culture. But someone else from across the world has a completely different reality than yours. It’s easy to assume that life all over the planet is similar. I know for me, that was the case. As an American, I was conditioned to be arrogant with a nationalistic attitude. Many of us are convinced that our country is the most influential and that we have it all figured out. However, when you get out there and see firsthand how different life is in other places, any ethnocentric approach you possess will be challenged. It can really rock you to your core. You realize how little your city where you’re from actually is. You realize people all over the world live different ways, and they’re not necessarily wrong just because it’s not what you’re used to. In fact, in many cases you will find other customs more appealing. You may like the simplicity of the European lifestyle and their extremely efficient use of public transportation systems, or how Japanese show so much respect for where they live and refrain from littering. There are in fact many things that other countries do better than Americans. And then it hits you. It’s not even about who’s better. Slowly, you experience a paradigm shift. Your viewpoint will drastically change to a worldwide angle. You begin to see that your home country is just one of many on this huge planet we share, and each of us is in this together. Your way is not the only way, and the universe actually does not revolve around you and your bubble. My favorite a-ha moment when it comes to this was when I was in Paris. I was talking to a Muslim guy from Tunisia who was making me a sandwich at a deli next to my hotel. He was telling me how bad Muslims have it there, and how they’re discriminated against and treated as unwelcome. Then he looked me in my eyes and genuinely asked, “Do you all have racism in America?” I was floored. What an incredible thing perspective can be.

It humbles you. As you explore the world, you will empathize with different groups of people and see from their point of view. Each country and culture has so much to offer. There is not a single place I’ve been that is better in pictures or on TV. Everything is far more amazing and stimulating in person. There is nothing to replace actually experiencing a place it its entirety, with all the sights, smells, sounds, and really being immersed in its culture. If you’re open-minded, it will fascinate, dazzle, and enlighten you. You will fall in love with the people, the architecture, the language, the food, the music, the energy. It gives direct access to humanity. Despite our differences, we all share the same planet. By seeing all the world has to offer, you’ll connect with it and all of its inhabitants. That is how you truly appreciate your own membership in this human race.

It will push you out of your comfort zone. New environments will challenge you and force you to try new things. Being somewhere unfamiliar and feeling uncomfortable makes you to learn more about yourself than you ever will at home. This is where you find out what you’re really made of and how adaptive you are. Do you have what it takes to survive in a place without speaking the language, without understanding the norms, without knowing anyone? You may even surprise yourself. This helps you grow stronger and more resilient, and causes you to evolve into a more cultured, worldly person. You can always tell people who have been around and seen a few things, from those whose outlooks are limited to their own surroundings. It’s such an admirable trait to be more wise, experienced, sophisticated, and well-traveled.

It will make you appreciate things differently. As much as this is about expanding your horizon, it can also do a lot to change the way you look at your own life. You may find a bunch of things you like better in other countries, but at the end of the day, there’s no place like home. You will gain new respect for things you didn’t even realize you took for granted about your home country, like the convenience, the comfort food, or having family close by. You’ll also have more appreciation for how good you have it, especially when you visit less fortunate countries. Your problems don't matter anymore. Just from witnessing the struggles of others, you can be healed.

It will uplift you. One of the most beautiful lessons for me as a world traveler has been to witness certain universal values inherent in all people regardless of boundaries that separate us. Love, compassion, family, and spiritual purpose always prevail, regardless of cultural differences. This is what really matters most to all of us human beings no matter where you go. It transfers across any religion or border. Sometimes when you visit countries that have the least [as far as material possessions], they still appear to be happier than those of us from wealthier countries. And they are. Their lives are not complicated by technology and consumed with greed. They’re happy just to have what they need and to be together with their loved ones. It’s so incredible and refreshing to witness. It makes you look within and question your own existence in the grand scheme of things.

It will inspire you. Traveling is not about escaping your life, but rather escaping the soul-numbing routine many of us have been cast into; and cultivating a life of passion and purpose. When you see how other people live and how other parts of the world operate, you'll be driven to find and live your own mission in life. Travel is not about looking elsewhere for inspiration; but rather looking within. When you realize you're merely one soul wandering this great earth among billions of others, you'll feel more urgency to make your moments count and take advantage of every blessing. It’s hard to grasp the immensity of the world. Yet despite this, you will know for sure that you serve a distinct purpose and significance among it all. We all do.

It will awaken your spirit. I like to think of travelling as soul searching in a way. I have never heard my soul speak to me and guide me more than when I was traveling abroad. Somehow you just instinctively ditch your ways and wander. Your spirit will flourish the more you rely on your intuition, the more compassion you gain on each journey, the more you find yourself, the more you think outside the box, the more you gain gratitude, the more your awareness expands and your consciousness develops. Taking a trip allows you to slow down and listen to your inner being. It can be exciting and thrilling, but there are also opportunities for reflection when you’re facing a majestic mountain, an ocean view, or one of the Seven Wonders of the World. For me, it is the moments when I see a beautiful sight and am moved to tears when I feel the undeniable presence of my soul and cannot deny its existence. Even if it doesn’t induce waterworks for you, it’s still nourishing to your spiritual being and beneficial to your spiritual path and personal growth.  You will feel more alive and connected to the universe than ever before.

XOXO ❤️

The most important purchase of your [travel] life

I wanted to start off this series by discussing the topic of purchasing luggage and travel packs, the most important purchase for travel lovers like myself. What better way to begin than by sharing a great experience I had today. In preparation for my upcoming trip to Europe, I needed to buy a really good travel backpack to get me through 5 cities in 3 weeks. I did a lot of research on the best brands for travel gear and realized it would be vital to visit a store and try a few out for myself. So today, my mom accompanied me on a visit to the great outdoors store, REI.

I have visited this store before for buying spinning shoes, but today I was impressed by their huge inventory of outdoor and travel equipment, as well as their knowledgeable staff and excellent service. This is a place I HIGHLY recommend for anyone going on a big trip, or for those who participate in outdoor activities, sports, etc. They even have an excellent lifetime rewards program. This is as good as it gets!

I went in anticipating that I’d try a few brands of backpacks out and get a general idea. Not only did I get to do that, but I picked a great one out and the salesman showed me every single bell and whistle on this bad boy, put it on me, strapped me in, and even packed it with weights so I could get a real feel of how it would be to carry 30lbs of gear on my back. This was eye opening and I am SO thankful because I realized how much I will only be screwing myself by packing a lot of stuff like I usually do. So I cannot stress how important this may be to anyone else looking to travel extensively like me. These people at REIs are not only experts on this stuff, but many of them travel pretty frequently too so they know firsthand. They also do not make commissions on sales so they are totally honest. I seriously couldn’t thank our salesman enough. He was truly awesome.

We settled on the Osprey Porter Travel 65Pack, which is a nice size for a taller/stronger girl like myself that will fit 65 liters of items. I probably would not recommend this for shorter or smaller girls, but it seems like a PERFECT fit for me. The most important features are that it:

-          Is water resistant, so it can last through a small amount of rain or moisture, and will not damage or wet your items inside. This is important to consider because if your pack is NOT water resistant or waterproof, any water WILL wet your clothes inside and lead to a mess.

-          Had padded shoulder straps and additional straps for the chest and hips for extra support

-          Is expandable so it can truly stretch to hold  a lot and then can be squeezed by the two straps in the front to condense it down  quite a bit

-          Had a lot of pockets and compartments, including one at the bottom for shoes and one on the top for easy access to items of frequent use or need

-          Is a durable, quality fabric that will literally last FOREVER

-          Comes in many colors, so this bright red/orange color will be easily identifiable

-          Has zippers that can easily be locked

-          Is easy to strap on and unstrap off, for easy wear and mobility and good fit, which is important when carrying a lot of weight on your back

For me personally, this one is perfect. That is only because I do not mind checking the bag since I am only taking a roundtrip flight to and from Europe, and for the rest of my travel will utilize trains to get around within the European cities I’m visiting. For those who will fly more frequently or do not like to check their bags, you definitely want to invest in a smaller pack, such as the 46 liter pack which is small enough to be checked. This is also a better size for smaller girls like I mentioned. Also, the cost of my particular choice is $150, which is exactly what I wanted to spend. Some packs may cost up to $300. This is an investment that will last you many years and can make or break your experience when traveling abroad, so in my opinion, you don’t want to go too cheap and end up with something that isn’t practical or won’t last. Generally, both the REI and Osprey brands are reliable quality with many good reviews. But I would definitely recommend reviewing what other users have shared on Amazon reviews to decide for yourself.

I had a great experience overall with the gentleman who showed me the ins and outs of this pack, including every pocket, compartment, strap, and latch. I cannot stress how valuable this was for me, as I was tempted to just order it online and then would not have truly understood how to use it (packing it, fitting it how it’s supposed to, ensuring weight is evenly distributed, etc). Therefore, I really wanted to emphasize that buying this type of thing is always better in person.

In addition, the salesman had a few other great recommendations and product suggestions that I wanted to share. He stressed that bringing 18 days’ worth of clothes would ensure a miserable time in carrying my pack. Real backpackers and travel experts tend to pack a few LIGHT items that can be mixed and matched, and will be washed and reused the entire time. This is something I have heard numerous times throughout my research. So as much as I want to look fly and bring a ton of cute outfits with me, I realize it’s just not practical on this type of trip.

I ended up buying a travel clothesline (top right in photo above) for about $10 that will clip in almost any shower type to dry clothes.  I also bought some travel wash for my clothes (bottom right in photo above) so that I can wash my clothes in the bathroom sink of my hotels. This is something I am truly not used to having to do while on vacation, but I really believe it will come in handy and will be crucial in packing light. 

Another thing I bought was some good “walking socks” (left in photo above, left). I never even knew these existed until now. These socks are made with some good padding to reduce any pain caused by tons of walking while sightseeing. They are also as thin as possible and designed to eliminate any odor or sweating so they can be worn for multiple days if needed. They were kind of pricey at $16 a pair, but I figure 2-3 pairs will definitely come in handy, since I plan to be on my feet pretty much the entire trip.

So after my visit to REI, I feel a lot better and more prepared for my Europe trip, and am more excited than ever that I will finally be going soon.

In addition to this experience today, I wanted to share my recent experience on buying actual luggage. I have been searching for a new suitcase for many months. This is something that is NOT easy to find when you’re as picky as me! So I have literally lost count of how many stores and websites I’ve visited during my hunt. Again, I think it’s much more ideal to purchase this type of item in person so you can really inspect it and know exactly what you’re buying, which unfortunately online shopping cannot offer. I believe luggage is an investment for those of us who travel a lot, and therefore is something you don’t want to skimp on too much. At the same time, luggage is NOT meant to last forever, and will inevitably get messed up when it’s thrown around throughout airports, and therefore isn’t something you want to spend a TON on. I just can’t see myself spending thousands on designer luggage that will get scratched up, torn up and will need to be replaced within a few years. Therefore, this is the criteria I was looking for in my luggage:

-          A hard shell: I had never bought this type before as I was loyal to fabric suitcases…. However, these have become insanely popular in the last few years due to its increased durability in being thrown around by baggage handlers. My soft suitcases have gotten torn the hell up in just a couple years and have also got soaking wet in the rain, which damaged my items inside. So despite the disadvantage that hard-shell luggage does get scratched up, I was looking to give it a try.

-          Light-weight: I tend to push that 50lb weight limit on baggage a lot of times, so I need as much of that weight to be from my actual items rather than from the luggage itself. Some larger suitcases can weigh up to 15lbs, leaving you with less weight for your belongings. Therefore, I was hoping for something under 10lbs.

-          Colorful: I cannot stand waiting at the luggage carousel and seeing 90% of the bags being black and plain, so every single person thinks it’s theirs. I think this leads to a higher chance of someone else “accidentally” picking up your luggage, plus it’s harder to spot your own. So I always aim for some bright color or pattern that will make my bag easier to distinguish as my own.

-          Compartments: I am a sucker for organization. So I was hoping to find something with at least a few zipper and straps to better organize and hold my stuff.

-          Four wheels: This makes life a LOT easier when your luggage has smooth mobility with four high-quality wheels. You will know exactly what I mean if you’ve ever had one of your wheels break or keep getting jammed.

-          A price range of $80-120. I believe this is reasonable for a large size luggage that is good quality and long-lasting. Some can be up to $500 and I just refuse to pay that much for something I do not anticipate lasting over 5-10 years at my rate of travel anyway. 

After many trips all over the damn place (mostly multiple TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshall’s in different cities as these are my favorites stores that offer a variety of luggage brands at a great bargain), I finally found my baby. I found her at the TJ Maxx in Laurel, Maryland. I saw her from across the store, and it was love at first sight. She is a hard-shell beauty with a glossy pale peach cover, a unique color that I have never seen in other luggage and I feel totally fits me and my personality… peach is actually one of my favorite colors! She has 4 wheels, multiple compartments and straps inside, an easy to use and smooth handle; and cost only $90. Also, she weighs about 9lbs, which is impressive for a hard shell suitcase. So she absolutely fit every one of my criteria! Also, she is an “It” suitcase, a British brand has gotten a great reputation for being affordable, practical and good quality luggage of all types. Oh, and yes, she IS a she. I could NOT be happier.

Isn’t she pretty?!

The real test was when I finally put her to use on an actual trip. I flew Southwest to Miami a few weeks ago and she held up very well. She got scratched up pretty badly, which I had expected. However, I wiped the scuffs and scratches down with rubbing alcohol and most of them went away quite easily. As you can see in the pictures above, she still looks brand new. This luggage is sure to get me through many trips over the next few years, as I will be traveling back and forth to Hawaii, and visiting God knows where else. So I could not be happier. Waiting until I found the right luggage to make that purchase was definitely worth it!

So the moral of the story is, buying luggage and travel packs is not easy. It definitely takes time and patience. It will require shopping around and is NOT something you can just buy on an impulse or without some good legwork involved. Decide what criteria is important to you, ask for help by the pros when you need it, and do not give up until you find it. And you will!