The “fasten seat-belt” icon goes on. The pilot prepares for landing.
Then, you put away your iPod, straighten the back of your seat, tighten your seat-belt nervously and wait for the feeling of the plane’s wheels hitting the ground.
You feel the jolt, and a thrill runs through your bones. You’ve made it. And after what feels like an eternity, the passengers in front of you file out of the plane, signaling that your adventure is only footsteps away.
Stepping off the airplane on the first day of your travels is always a bit thrilling. You’re in a new place with new things to discover around every corner. And even if your destination is somewhere you’ve already been, you’re still spending time somewhere different than your norm.
When you’re traveling, the world is yours to explore in any way, shape or form that suits you best. Vacations are just plain fun and, especially in our work-driven 21st century world, are a useful tool that helps us keep our work lives in perspective. They’re a miraculous reminder that life is about experiencing and doing — and that’s something most of us forget in all the hustle and bustle of our busy lives.
There’s certainly romanticism to jet-setting throughout the world – it’s one heck of a ride while you’re immersed in it! It’s exciting and vivid and, most of all, refreshing. But if you’re anything like me, you also know how good it feels to return to your home base after a week away.
Have you ever had that moment on a travel excursion when (despite the fact that you’re sitting in some exotic, warm place that’s the epitome of heaven on Earth) all you want to do is be home? It probably seemed strange at the time. But there’s a good reason why you were feeling that way.
Community is something we humans crave intrinsically; we just need it. So how do we balance the urge to see and experience new things with the instinct to form ties to what’s around us? We have to be citizens of the universe. As we travel, wander and explore, we’re bombarded with new things.
We have a choice.
We can either look at them from a distance, for all purposes keeping them foreign, or engage with them. Through the process of truly engaging and interacting with the environments we see, we can get that little slice of community we’re looking for. If you’re in a foreign country, talk with the people you see there and treat them as you would your neighbor! Respect the new environment you’re exploring as if it was your permanent home. Be a citizen of the universe, not a global nomad.
Remember, happiness is an inside job!!
HAPPINESS STRATEGY FOR YOU
Make a list of the ways in which you can interact with or foster your community on a daily basis. Now, in a second column, list a general trait associated with each of these activities you’ve listed. In a third column, brainstorm ways that you can apply that trait to any new community or culture you come across in your day to day travels. Try to implement these strategies as often as possible on your quest to be a true citizen of the world.
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