I have the great fortune of traveling for the next couple of weeks. Besides enjoying the sunshine, beaches, and warmth (Juneau, Alaska only has one of these this time of year and we had over 2.5 inches of rain in the 24 hours before we left); one of my favorite parts of travel is to see how different people live.

At this point we have not left the United States yet, we are in Miami Airport, but there is a much larger variety of people than we see regularly at home. I like imagining different lifestyles, and listening to different languages. It also makes me appreciate simple things, or possibly huge game changers, like growing up in a place where I don’t feel the need to wear makeup anytime I leave the house. Of course that is a value judgment, it doesn’t mean that I am happier than people I see, but it is something I appreciate about my world for better or for worse.

Another important aspect of travel is to recognize that timelines are out of your control. Between mechanical issues, weather issues, lost baggage, and more – you can plan, but things can change at anytime. It helps teach me to live in the moment, go with the flow, and make the best of things. I get into a zone during travel time, it certainly isn’t productive but it gets me through. Time zones enhance this suspended sense of time even further.

Travel feels like the drug of life, transporting one to a different state of being to explore the world around us.