What Travel Has Taught Me About Time, Purpose, and People

Outdoor cafe in Riomaggiore, Italy

For a long time, I thought travel was about places.

The photos.

The itineraries.

The bucket lists.

But the longer I’ve been on this journey — personally and professionally — the more I’ve realized that travel isn’t always about the actual destination.

It’s about time.

It’s about purpose.

And it’s about people.

Over the years, these travel reflections have quietly reshaped the way I look at everyday life.

Sitting by the water in Split, Croatia

Time Isn’t Meant to Be Saved — It’s Meant to Be Spent

We live in a world that tells us to save everything.

Save your vacation days and work harder.

Save your energy for “someday.”

Now is not the time to travel.

But travel has taught me that time doesn’t wait for someday.

Some of my most meaningful trips didn’t happen when life was perfectly planned. In fact, in a couple of cases, for me, the timing could not have been worse.

Sometimes they happen when things are messy — when I wasn’t sure what was next, when I just needed to breathe in a different view for a moment.

Time is the one thing we can’t pack in a suitcase and take home with us. And yet, it’s the very thing travel reminds us to cherish the most.

That quiet morning coffee overlooking a lake.

That long walk through a new city with no real agenda.

That unplanned conversation with a stranger that somehow stays with you for years.

Those moments aren’t filler — they are what make the trip, and they are special.

These are the moments that remind us why meaningful travel isn’t about doing more — it’s about feeling more.

Purpose Isn’t Found on a Map

I used to think purpose was something you discovered by chasing bigger and better adventures.

But the more I’ve traveled, the more I see it’s often revealed in the simplest ways.

It’s in the realization that slowing down is just as important as seeing more.

It’s in choosing presence over perfection.

It’s in noticing that your best memories rarely come from the things you scheduled down to the minute.

Travel gently nudges you to ask better questions:

• What do I really want more of in my life?

• Where am I rushing when I don’t need to?

• Who do I become when I finally give myself permission to enjoy the moment?

Purpose doesn’t come with a boarding pass. It shows up when you start listening to yourself again.

People Are the Real Souvenirs

You can forget a hotel name. You might misplace the postcard. But you never forget the people.

The woman who gave you directions when your phone died. The man in the train station who helped you the first time you took a train in Europe when you had no idea what to do — a true lifesaver. The couple you met at breakfast, or the people in an airport lounge who shared their story and still cross your mind today.

The friendships that start with, “Where are you from?” and end with a promise to stay in touch.

Travel strips away the small talk and replaces it with something honest.

You learn quickly that we’re far more alike than we are different. Everyone is carrying something. Everyone is hoping for something. And sometimes all it takes is a shared moment in a new place to remind us of that.

Taking Time for the Trip

This is why I created Take Time for the Trip.

Not to tell you how many countries you should visit — although my list is long (hehe).

Not to sell the idea of perfect travel.

But to remind you that travel — whether it’s across the world or just across your own state — is really about taking time for your life.

Time to feel.

Time to pause.

Time to enjoy the journey you’re already on.

And maybe that’s the greatest lesson travel teaches us: to slow down, look around, and truly take time for the trip.