I listened for the soft slap of the water as a wave hit the sand, the murmur of the tides rolling out and in and out and in, the muted call of the gulls from so high overhead, the wind rustling through my hair and faintly hitting my eardrum with a beat that matched the throbbing of my excited heart.

It was a summer day at the shore!

If you don’t yet know, I was born and raised in the US in the small state of Connecticut, a state perhaps most famous for its rocky shoreline along the Long Island Sound. (Certainly, that is where the wealthy flock to live). But my family lived a far drive from the coastline, so it was a rare occurrence when we could pack up to go spend a day by the water.

Yet, the sand and the sea seemed to call out for me – it felt like a home.

Sometimes travel is an exploration far out away to the unfamiliar. But sometimes (simultaneously) it’s a homecoming to where you should have always belonged.

Many people regard travel as a form of escape. Yet for me growing up, it was the routine “normal” life that felt like an aberration. Many people regard travel as an opportunity to splurge and indulge in luxury, a chance to live the way they wish they could. As an adult, I ask: “Well then, why don’t you?”

If travel stirs up longings for different ways of experiencing and being in the world, I believe it’s an indication of how you’re meant to grow and transform, to make “who you are when you travel” into simply “who you are”. This is the true luxury.

Luxury travel is so much more than private jets, yachts, and 5-star resorts. These material phenomena will just leave you empty if they’re not manifestations of a profound internal, spiritual excellence. If luxury is meant to signify the highest of high value, then the intangibles matter.

Significantly, so much of the longing and deep value from travel can (and ought to) be made part of regular living. Sometimes it just requires a shift of perspective to find the transcendent in the everyday.

Curiosity

Travel can inspire a sense of adventure and discovery, tapping into a longing to expand one’s horizons both mentally and physically. Curiosity opens us up into possibility and growth, so we can find opportunity in what otherwise might just be struggle.

Yet we don’t need to leave our backyard to find, see, or learn something new. Asking questions and assuming the role of an explorer is always within our power of control.

Presence

So many people move mindlessly through the monotony of daily life. They go through the motions and get caught in distractions until it all becomes a blur of sameness. So many long to travel to feel present and alive again.

Yet we don’t need travel to shock us out of the tedium. Yes, a fresh environment and a break from typical activities can facilitate focus on the here and now. (Though notice how many travelers can remain oblivious even amidst novel and datil-rich surroundings – mental baggage can be the heaviest load). To be present, what matters most is a decision to direct one’s attention. It can start with one conscious breath.

Connection with nature & civilization

Sometimes the yearning to travel stems from a desire for connection. It could be a connection with others in a dynamic, hectic metropolis, or it could be a quiet, intimate connection with nature.

Thankfully, 21st-century technology makes transportation to a different kind of locale often cheap, quick, and efficient. You can probably be out and home again before dark. From most locations on Earth today, one can find WiFi to connect with others virtually. From most locations on Earth in any era, one can look up to the sky to commune with the sun, moon, and stars.

Ability to transform

Any traveler knows that the best-laid itinerary never goes exactly as planned – learning to adapt is part of any good trip. Yet, adaptation is a skill and a process that can extend beyond any specific journey.

Travel inspires us to transform by showing us that we can change, even in small ways. In fact, sometimes the smallest shifts are all that is required to ultimately reach the most ambitious life goals.

For example, it wasn’t overnight, but as an adult I’ve made my childhood dreams of coastal living a reality. I’ve made my forever home now just a mile away from the shore, such that going to the beach is part of my daily walking routine. Just a few steps and the sounds of the shoreline are there to welcome me.

It is wondrous and new and strange and eternally reassuring every single time.