The Power of Travel: Glimpsing the Bigger Picture

In February, I had the spectacular privilege to travel to California to visit my son and his wife (and along the way, I was able to visit some friends I haven't seen in over 8 years!). It was incredible to escape the doldrums of February in PA and feel the sun on my face. 

There is nothing quite like the Pacific Ocean, and the multitude of ecosystems you can find in California. Along the bay, it's misty and foggy, allowing succulents to grow the size of large pizzas. As we drove up "The One," through Big Sur, we saw beaches, forests, rocky mountains. The variety never seemed to end. 

In San Francisco, we watched sea lions fight over which boating dock they wanted to bask on, with Alcatraz casting a shadow from the distance. 

We visited redwood trees that could have witnessed the birth of Jesus, the signing of the Magna Carta, and the falling of the Twin Towers. Ever feel like you were pretty important and all your stuff really mattered? Yeah. A redwood will give you instant perspective. 

(Oh, and these aren't considered the "real redwoods" by Californians who live a few hours away, because theirs are bigger...)

While 3,000 miles away from home and the demands of everyday life, I couldn't help but consider the (much) bigger picture. The things I've been worried about -- the opinions of others, the unrealistic expectations placed on me by society (large & small), the progress toward goals -- seemed so small as I sat on the rocks and watched the ocean, the sea otters, the birds, the life. I was reminded of Mary Oliver's description of our "one wild and precious life." How often do we get caught up in our myopic view of the world, seeing only what's in front of us. The boss that pulls rank on you, the coworker complaining about you, the rude checkout clerk -- when you get some distance, none of it matters. 

The trip also made me think of the power of travel, the power of realizing how small we really are in the grand scheme of things. My children have been blessed to travel to -- and to even live in -- other places, among other people, different from their small town. They have learned to respect diversity, to be curious about other cultures and beliefs, to appreciate different languages and customs. 

I couldn't help but think of children and people who aren't able to travel, to see the world. (It ain't cheap, after all.) Yes, we supposedly have the world in the palm of our hands with our phones and tablets and Internet -- but it's not a realistic vision of the world. It's the world the Algorithm creates for us, confirming bias after bias. 

I'd love to be part of a nonprofit group that takes children on vacations -- not just to play (though play is super important), but to widen their worldviews, to expand their vision of what is possible for their lives. Maybe it's a retirement project for me? I don't know, but what I do know is that seeing the real world is the only way to truly glimpse the bigger picture, to gain a healthy perspective of what truly matters.