Is It Really about Getting Outside our Comfort Zones?

I™m sure you™ve heard people talk about getting outside our comfort zones as a positive way to challenge ourselves. They say, œyou’ll be surprised what happens when you do it.

But there is something about that phrase, when applied to travel in particular, that makes it feel undesirable to me.

Frankly, that phrase doesn™t make me want to travel. It makes me wonder, what kind of discomfort am I in for? And why would I want to be uncomfortable on my vacation?

At the root of it, the phrase is telling us to try something new, do something different, and go somewhere we™ve never gone before. Now, that sounds exhilarating and wonderfully escapist – not uncomfortable.

When you are in a new place, you have to be more aware of your surroundings. Like a meditation practice, you have to be hyper present. Everything is new. You come alive. And you turn into a child again “ if only for a short time – observing and relishing the most mundane details of life.

And inevitably, travel lets stress and discomfort experienced in daily life melt away into the background.

So I™d prefer using a different phrase when talking about the benefits of travel. How about “exploring the unknown,” “feeling like a kid again,” “coming alive”, œescaping, or œfeeling freedom?

What about you? What phrase or perspective inspires you to travel?

That’s me swinging on a Tarzan swing in the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica. 🙂