I am blessed to constantly create travel in my life between my work and my play. I have gone as much as 4ish times a year during the last 20 some years. I am truly, truly so grateful constantly, because it's something I love and crave!

My soul is filled to the brim almost every time. My soul is enlarged by experiencing the different cultures and natural beauty around the world. It’s present in various natural and man made formations.

It’s part of every people I encounter during travel whether that travel is near or far. That filling up of my soul I experience, it happens just about EVERY time whether in a local canyon one hour from me or in Djibouti near Saudi Arabia!

I experience the grandeur of God and the vast creations while I travel. I see the world in its beautiful diversity of space and people's so varied and unique! The trees, lands, homes, dances, organizations, colors, foods, ideas and values are beyond one language's vocabulary. 

God is the ultimate artist! With sculpture and color beyond human ability. I mean the beauty in a sculpted rock or the intricate colors and patterns in a fall leaf. Because I have such a love of travel, I have tended to be in jobs that allow travel.

I miss holidays, birthdays, anniversarys, life events and hanging with friends and family sometimes. I live in a suitcase or sometimes in a tent, with few comforts of technology nor of home on occasion.

It’s easy when it's work related travel to complain and not enjoy or appreciate where I am, but then I remember how very lucky I am to be somewhere I would never visit without my job requirement.

Some of the places are just not high on my list, whereas others are not tourist destinations nor places outsiders come. And each place has its own splendor of nature landscape, nature up close, differing people and divergent perspectives of life.

What is amazing about your life? If you are unable to say one cool thing and flesh it out, then perhaps you’re not in a mind place that will benefit you as you deserve. In this case, ask someone what they think is cool about your life.

Others will be able to get you up to speed. It’s how I became more consciously thankful for traveling. I had been paying attention to the struggle to fly and packing and being away from family and missing special events as well as good nights to my kids.

I had focused on the hassle of living out of a suitcase and terrible pillows and beds. When I asked someone, what’s cool about my life, this was what I was told. Suddenly I remembered how cool this really was.

I mean I have celebrated with the Moroccan Military in the Sahara desert, watched Voodoo dancing as the guest of the prince of a tribe in ToGo, West Africa. I have worked as a role player on an oil tanker helping in naval interdiction in Senegal.

I’ve hiked for days on low oxygen, sleeping with the locals to Machu Picchu to see the sunrise. I’ve sat in meditation at sunrise at Angkor Wat. I’ve been to an ice castle and usable ice bar formed by humans. I’ve been to rock formations that defy my understanding of science.

I have had my passport stolen and recovered (it’s its own later story) in Cameroon. I have wandered ancient Roman ruins in France, learned life lessons from a helicopter pilot in a small classroom in the middle of nowhere and discovered the Baobab tree for myself.

I helped a small eastern American town newspaper publish 9/11 on a 1 week old new digital system while 8 months pregnant sleeping under a desk. I have also attempted a fantastic ropes course at the Jordanelle Dam near Park City and in the south of France.

I’v gotten up early to watch the hot air balloons fill and take flight. I’ve seen rocks show the shape and color of people and places rarely ever seen in nature. I found colored sea glass and created a necklace in a cove in California.

I’ve walked the oldest road on the American continent, watched river water change direction with special seating at a restaurant overlooking it. I’ve experienced ice on a river explode like fireworks in the spring.

I viewed miles of underground human bones arranged by bone type left after history like the black death. The list goes on. If you recognize some of my references they likely don’t sound as cool as the ones you have no experience with.

This is part of my point. What you are used to and what is common to you is normal and not really very exotic and exciting, but it is amazing and miraculous to someone else. Do you think the little tribe in ToGo thinks their dance is cool?!   How are you blessed??!