Takeaway: Traveling, experiencing new things, is a critical ingredient in pursuing happiness
(Traveling, experiencing new things, is a critical ingredient in pursuing happiness. Rocks, trees, stay in one place. People go on quests—whether physically traveling, or by learning and growing in the mind and heart. Maybe you’ll go to one of the travel destinations I write about. My goal is to inspire you to travel on your own adventure. Maybe it’ll be traveling “in your imagination.” But again I suggest, imagining and/or trying something new is critical to happiness.)
Beaches, beaches, everywhere!
My favorite beach is the one I’m enjoying “right now.” I’ve fallen in love with beaches in Asia, Europe, east and west coast of America, and even a lake “beach” in the middle of Africa.
Sanibel and Captiva Blind Pass Beach
But when it comes right down to it, one of my “hometown” beaches remains deep in my heart. It’s Blind Pass Beach between Sanibel and Captiva Island in southwest Florida. Seeing this beach changed my life and caused me to move from Oregon to Florida to begin my career after grad school long ago. There, I became mesmerized by zillions of shells, which I discovered originally hosted amazing living creatures. I also gained an idea of the essence of time, considering how long it must have taken to create a sandy beach from the shells that once encased those living beings. On this beach, I enjoyed a beer or two (smile). Favorite activities included floating in the warm waters and kayaking in and out of the pass when it was open. I continually became sunburned and learned to love jogging.
Experiencing life as a reporter …
But also on this beach, as a newspaper reporter, I experienced and wrote about hurricanes washing over the islands and flooding cottages, a man saving a child from a storm undertow, and almost dying himself, and of tiny loggerhead turtle hatchlings clumsily waddling into the Gulf of Mexico.
It’s not the place, it’s what happens there …
Everyone has their own experiences in their own places. Sometimes it isn’t just the “pretty picture” of a place. It’s what happens in that “picture.” I encourage you to go find a few places where that can happen for you.
