Have you heard of traveling with HEART? The Transformational Travel Council’s defines this as being humble, engaged, awake, resilient, and thankful. Easier said than done. Very similar to self care, it involves mindfulness. Think about the act of being humble. When we travel for leisure, it’s easy to focus on the money we’ve invested. We consider the time we took off of work, and if you live in the States that vacation bank is small. Here we are dedicating the little amount of time we have and a lump sum of money to travel. It’s tough not to set expectations around this experience.
I’m the first to admit ways I can grow and be better. My travel habit has not included approaching each situation without high expectations. Entertain me! Cater to me! Pamper me! I love luxury! Guilty as charged. This attitude tainted my trip to Punta Cana. To this day I get angry thinking about the time and money spent. And that was six years ago. I need more HEART in my travels.
Humble Improvements
If I could do that trip over again, I would make a few changes. First, I would work more closely with my travel advisor to review what I wanted to feel during that trip. Second, I would have asked for his expertise on the location. Tell me about the culture, the history, and what to expect. Third, I would request that my advisor set up an itinerary with his recommendations of local tours and restaurants. Will questions bother him? Fear prevented me from asking. And that was a big mistake. It’s part of the benefits of using an advisor! Lesson learned.
Punta Cana deserved more HEART from me. Clearly, I needed to be open to learn, understand, and connect. There was a chance to see a part of the world I had never been before, support local businesses, be immersed in culture, history, and art. Traveling deeper requires more from us.
I’m not perfect. And the me of today is embarrassed of my past behavior. Again, we can always be better than we were yesterday. One thing I cherish is the piece of art David and I purchased. It’s our way of bringing travel into our home, giving back to the communities that hosted us, and telling a story of our life together.
As I sit here travel dreaming, I’m putting Punta Cana back on my list. I will not waste the next opportunity. Travel is meant to teach us more than service levels. With mindfulness towards a humble attitude, the memories will be more profound.