Seven purpose-centered trips to take

No doubt, travel has been one of the most enriching parts of my life. Like most people who love going places, though, I almost always find it impossible to answer which place I’ve enjoyed visiting the most. Different places have earned huge spots in my heart for very different reasons. That got me thinking- there are probably several different types of trips worth taking throughout a person’s lifetime.

At first I thought of trying to list them all out. The Seven Types of Trips to Take Within Your Life. But that didn’t seem right. Traveling is a privilege, after all, and not everyone gets to take seven trips. But for those of us who can, and who hope to keep finding ways to discover the world, here are seven ideas for different kinds of trips you could take.

A TRIP TO RECONNECT WITH YOUR HERITAGE

Everyone comes from somewhere, and these days, many of us live in a very different part of the world from where our family has its roots. I think it’s always worth it to try and go back to these places, even if you’re several generations removed.

I’m Filipino, and I’m so thankful to have been able to visit the Philippines numerous times throughout my life. The last visit was likely the sweetest. I got to take my then-fiancee to visit my grandma for her 96th birthday, and it would end up being the last time I saw her. Now that I no longer have her to visit, my trips there will probably be less frequent, making those opportunities more precious.

My attachment to the Philippines is pretty strong, given that I’m only a generation removed from both sets of my parents having been raised there. But even if that isn’t the case, it’s still helpful to get in touch with the place of your ancestry. Even if your heritage is a combination of several different European nationalities, making the effort to trace them is a reminder that everybody belongs to an ethnicity and culture and that none are “normal.”

A TRIP FOR THE SAKE OF SERVING OTHERS

I’ve got to preface this by saying: beware of voluntourism opportunities that are actually ethically questionable schemes. Even seemingly legitimate missions trips or volunteer opportunities may be done in a spirit of being the hero in someone else’s story, or disempowering people who have the ability to make a long term difference in their community. So don’t just volunteer somewhere for the sake of looking good.

But– throughout the course of your life, you’ll likely discover something that gets under your skin. You’ll find something in the world that legitimately bothers and disturbs you, and you’ll want to dedicate a fair portion of your energy and resources towards solving whatever problem that is. Oftentimes, that desire will send you places. You might be a volunteer with a specific skill set that can’t be found locally. You might be someone who helps connect people to resources to make their transformative work possible. You might go somewhere for the sake of learning how to create change.

I’ve been able to visit Johannesburg, Tanzania, and Thailand, among many other places, that have taught me what making an impact actually looks like. It isn’t just about staying for a couple of weeks and checking out, but it’s about making a commitment to slow, sustainable progress over a lifetime. But I wouldn’t have made that realization without the things I was able to see firsthand.

A SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE

The Camino de Santiago. Macchu Piccu. The Pacific Crest Trail. Sometimes, a physical journey merely serves as the catalyst for a spiritual trek.

Jesus often retreated from his familiar scenery to pray. So many mystics of old, across a variety of traditions have placed a value on connecting with the divine through taking a journey.

It’s hard to break out of old patterns of thought while still keeping the same patterns of behavior, the same routines everyday in the same settings. For this reason, we become more spiritually sensitive when we disrupt what’s familiar and set our sights on going in search of something bigger than ourselves. No wonder the idea of pilgrimage has made for such a great storytelling device, from The Alchemist to Wild.

I’ve been trying to think of a time I might’ve done this. I dream of doing the Camino de Santiago some day, but that hasn’t happened yet, and I kind of want to save that for a moment when I think the spiritual retreat is really needed. Right now, I’m inclined to think about a road trip I took to the Pacific Northwest several years ago. It was such a simple trip, but it inspired a lot of thinking- enough to eventually generate a whole book!

A MOSTLY UNPLANNED TRIP

Travel takes a lot of planning, generally speaking. For those of us who have regular jobs, it requires making sure we have the time set aside for it. It means making sure everything lines up financially. Now that I have a kid, I’m realizing that even more planning is needed for trips that used to seem so simple.

So… when you don’t have to set a firm plan, you should totally take advantage of that!

There’s something so freeing about backpacking and realizing that it’s up to you when to move on to the next stop, where you want to go next, and what you want to do when you get there. There’s something wonderful about showing up to a new city with not much of a clue what to expect and an open mind. When you keep things open enough to connect with people on the go, they can help add to the adventure.

I often think of the summer I spent backpacking through Europe. I followed bus lines wherever they would connect me, trying to stop in places where I knew people. A friend in Germany invited me to a bike ride through the rain. A friend in Norway showed me the best spots for a summer swim and cliff jumping. A friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend in Denmark gave me a tour usually reserved for Korean diplomats. A cousin in Morocco invited me on an epic hike. A distant relative in England became not-so-distant after he invited me on his family’s holiday to the South Coast. All these things weren’t in the original plan. But it made for an unbelievable summer.

A TRIP TO INDULGE YOUR BIGGEST PASSIONS

What’s your wild and crazy passion? Okay, other than travel, because I already assumed as much.

Surely there’s something else in life that just mesmerizes you. That you’ve always had a disproportionate curiosity towards. Reptiles? Rugby? Cuisine?

I ask this, because one of the most worthwhile trips you could take is to the epicenter of your biggest passion… whatever that happens to be!

Love jazz? It’s hard to top a visit to New Orleans. Space? Then you’d probably be more intrigued by Cape Canaveral or Houston than your average person. Gorillas? The Congo welcomes you.

Going to Egypt for the history, Japan for the anime, or Italy for the food are truly bucket-list level opportunities. I’m thankful that my fondness for food traditions has brought me to places like Malaysia, New Orleans, and Italy.

A TRIP TO BETTER CONNECT WITH NATURE

When a lot of people start talking about dream destinations, cities tend to be mentioned more often. But I think having a trip where you can really connect with the beauty of the planet and learn from its generous nature is totally life-changing.

It’s impossible to quantify, but I do wonder how much better people would be as a whole at caring for the Earth if we spent more time appreciating it. Most of the people I know who’ve done great work for conservation or environmental protection grew up with frequent exposure or strong appreciation for the outdoors.

Some of the natural sights that have made me feel the most wonder are in what many people would dub “the middle of nowhere.” An extremely rural part of Swaziland that didn’t really have a name. A peak after two miles of an isolated hike outside of Detroit, Oregon. A gorge carved out by a river in Norway. And of course, more known spots like the Yosemite Valley, the Icelandic waterfalls, and Yellowstone have that effect too.

A CLASSIC ROAD TRIP

Seeing a place by land, in recognition of how truly large it is, is a great way to feel more deeply connected with a place.

Road tripping is such a classic experience, and in many ways is a more efficient way to go about. Piling a car full of close friends, questionably healthy snacks, and putting together the perfect playlist sets the stage for a great experience. Add a few pit stops at unexpected natural wonders and weird roadside oddities, the types of conversations that only come about after several hours in a car, and the challenge of tight quarters and you’ve got the recipe for a classic experience.

The other cool thing about road trips is that there are endless combinations of great routes you could take. America’s famous Route 66. The Pacific Coast Highway, then continuing onto Canada. The trans-Canadian Highway. Australia’s Great Ocean Road. Argentina’s Ruta 40. Or just connect the dots between the places you really want to see.

For the record, I’ve had two favorite road trips. The time I lived in a van for months across the Heartland is one, though that stretched for so long I’m not sure it counts as a single road trip. The other that sticks out in my memory was the week-long journey I took with four friends through New England.

Boston to Salem to Manchester to Vermont, Montreal to Portland, Maine, then back down to Boston via the Kancamangus Highway.

How many of these types of trips have you taken? Where will you go next?