Transformed by Travel: Introspection, Adventure and Awe

I am dedicating this issue of Strategy, Leadership & Presence to travel and the amazing ways it transforms us. First, I want to acknowledge that I am privileged to be able to travel and have always made it a family priority. We may all be in different parts of the world but for one week a year - we choose to be together. More than 30% of Americans do not get any paid time off and even with paid time off, there are over 700 million days of unused vacation time according to the latest statistics I could find . I hope someone reading this decides today to stop waiting and begin planning.

This year our adventure was in Madeira Island . Hiking, waterfalls, fruit and pastries - that was our immersion. What I love most about my experiences in traveling is finding the feeling of "awe." Surrounded by natural beauty - the colors, the lava, diverse agriculture one cannot help but feel deep gratitude for the miracle of life and living.

It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be.The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have still to go, how much more there is to learn~ Anthony Bourdain

Here is my curation of articles that I hope inspire you and support your love for travel:

In 7 Great Cities, 7 Great Walks The pleasures of strolling through an urban landscape are manifest. Here’s a guide to routes around the world.

Accessible Nature: A Trail Guide for Disabled Hikers A highlighted selection of paths, overlooks and other sites in several U.S. parks that outdoor enthusiasts with disabilities can enjoy this summer. [ Including our own Autism Nature Trail - with nod to friend and inspiration Loren Penman ]

A Wandering Mind: How Travel Can Change the Way You Think Most people travel as an observer, and as a result, “see” a lot. When you travel as an active participant, the experience can transform the way you think, and how you see the world. ( source @farnamstreet )

Pico Iyer: Where is Home? More and more people worldwide are living in countries not considered their own. Writer Pico Iyer -- who himself has three or four “origins” -- meditates on the meaning of home, the joy of traveling and the serenity of standing still.

14 Rules for Travel and Life: Founding Father Benjamin Rush’s Advice to His Young Son “Remember at all times that while you are seeing the world, the world will see you.” (source @Brainpicker )

Around the World in 40 Books Headed to Rio, Paris, or Cape Town this summer? We asked distinguished writers and thinkers to pick their favorite books about 20 of the world’s great cities.

Getting Away from It All: Vacations and Identity book by Karen Stein A study of individuality and flexibility and the intersection of self-definition and social constraint. Karen Stein interviews vacationers about their travels and down time, focusing on “identity transitions.”

I leave you with the words of one of my favorite poets John O'Donohue

May you travel safely, arrive refreshed, and live your time away to its fullest; return home more enriched, and free to balance the gift of days which call you.

?In an airport,

Jennifer Sertl #a3r