Transformational travel – what exactly do we mean by that? “An outer discovery adventure, an inner journey for the soul” – I would like to suggest that this simple phrase describes what we call transformational travel. I also believe this is the type of journey that most people are seeking.
Tourism has become a multi-billion-dollar industry, but more and more people are no longer satisfied with the mass-produced, one-size-fits-all packaged vacations offered by traditional travel agents. We are searching for a deeper, richer travel experience that will leave us feeling changed on a level that embodies more of an “inside-out” experience.
More people are traveling now than ever before. On any given day approximately 250 million people around the world are on the road, on a quest for new experience and knowledge. But more travelers are feeling drawn to visit places that seem to hold unique inspiration and an unexplainable magnetic attraction.
The actual destination is not as important as the desire to move deeper into the experience. A walk in the woods can be a powerful transformational experience if you begin with a commitment to being open to insight and revelation through focused intent. But sometimes we need to take ourselves completely “out of the box” of everything that is familiar to us in order to grow. Traveling within our own country can provide powerful experiences but we’re still on our “home turf,” still connected to that sense of familiarity about who we are. A travel experience that is completely devoid of the things that define our normal sense of self allows us to open to the unknown and unexpected. Stripped of our “at-home” superficial identity, we are free to move into the fertile ground of more intimate relationship with ourselves.
But how do we prepare ourselves for this type of travel? What are the steps we need to take to have this type of experience? I will outline my Five Steps to Transformational Travel in my upcoming blogs so stay tuned but in the meantime, I’d love to hear your stories of transformational travel so please send them to me.