The novelist Henry Miller said that “one’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
Having recently returned from a long-anticipated and much needed trip to Spain and Portugal, those words resonate with me so very clearly.
We all know that time off is critical to our wellbeing, yet it can be difficult to balance and integrate into our lives. Stuff happens. Urgent priorities and virtual fire drills appear seemingly out of nowhere, demanding our attention.
However, when we do truly get away, the benefit of travel extends far beyond the physical and mental reset it affords. It can broaden our minds and expand our perspectives.
We visited nearly a dozen cities and villages across both countries. Spain and Portugal are, in many ways, quite different, but they share important cultural values. The people we met were warm, expressive and welcoming. A commonality was food and drink to make connections, and to bond with others.
In Barcelona, as we learned the nuances of making a great paella, it occurred to me that the mindset we adopt in new situations around new people makes us more open and observant. There’s research out there confirming that travel can help us be more appreciative of people with knowledge, philosophies and skills that differ from our own.
More importantly, this enhanced appreciation for the perspectives of others tends to stay with us, to some degree, long after we return home.
In a time when there’s so much talk of how polarized Americans are, it seems to me that’s a very good thing.
Here’s hoping that in the months ahead you have a chance to unplug, explore and find more connection and perspective. We all need it.