Lucy Loves: Take the Trip! Here’s Why.

This month, I’m off on a beautiful adventure to one of my favorite places in the world - Italy! I have never been and have looked forward to this trip for a year!!

If you’ve been around here or following me on Instagram for a while, you’ll know that I absolutely love traveling - and I do it all the time! Especially as my kids have grown up to be young adults, it’s so much fun getting to explore new (and some of our tried and true favorite) places. 

As I was preparing for this trip to Italy (which I’m getting to take with some of my closest friends), I was thinking about what a gift traveling truly is. I talk to a lot of people who mention how much I seem to be “on the go” - and their ears always perk up when we start a conversation around that topic. 

I think we all have an innate sense of wonder within us - a deep desire to go. To explore. To experience. But oftentimes (probably more than we’d like to admit), the waves and circumstances of life keep us from pursuing adventure in the form of travel. We live in a day and age where “BUSY” is the M.O., and our calendars (even our lives) are jam-packed with little to no margin. I also hear a lot of people talk about financial constraints being the reason they don’t travel more often - which is totally understandable…but keep reading, because I’m sharing some insight on this below. 

As I was packing my bags and going through this internal dialogue, I was inspired to tell you one thing: Take the trip! 

It’s as simple as that. 

I know - life is busy, budgets matter, and so on. 

But if you’re… 

✨On the fence about booking a trip you’ve been dreaming of

✨Feeling “dry” creatively 

✨In need of some personal self-discovery 

✨Just want to get away for a little while 

JUST BOOK THE TRIP! 

Here’s why:

The memories you make when traveling are simply irreplaceable. I know, maybe that sounds a little corny. But whether you are flying solo, traveling with your family/friends, or embarking on a trip with a bunch of strangers, the memories you make will stay with you for a lifetime. And do you know what I’ve found? Oftentimes, it’s the tiniest little details like the smell of fresh fruit being cut, or the smile on my daughter's face while we’re sailing through the Bahamas that leave a lasting imprint on my mind. That said, you don’t have to book extravagant vacations or experiences to create memories that truly can only be cultivated by stepping out of your normal, daily routines.

Traveling stimulates creativity and new ways of thinking. And before you start thinking “I’m not a creative person, this doesn’t apply to me” - I want you to know something. You are creative, and regardless of your profession or what you spend your days doing, there is so much value in our senses being heightened based on new experiences. Think of creativity as being more than just what an artist does with a canvas. It can also be the way you view a certain situation, how you see a sunset, or how you interact with other people. Experiencing new things through travel can open our eyes to new things that we otherwise would not have ever noticed or seen. 

On a similar (but also different) note, traveling stretches us beyond of comfort zones. This quote from Gustav Flaubert says it perfectly - “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” This couldn’t be more true, and it’s a beautiful realization. Not only do we get stretched outside of our “daily norms” and creature comforts, but this stretching also invites us to see how small we are in such a big world. Try to think of this as exciting - because it is! Not only is it a reminder that there is so much to see, but also that the burdens and stresses that we carry at home are maybe not as weighty or big as our lives tend to give them credit for. 

There are about a million reasons I could share with you why travel is worth every penny (and then some). But remember: A trip doesn’t have to be that “once in a lifetime” luxury, 15-day trip across Europe. There are so many special places closer than you think - if you need some ideas, try Googling “Boutique hotels within 2 hours of (your city)”...and also, get on Air BnB! There are so many great places that are perfect for a weekend adventure - and that will still accomplish all of the things I shared above. 

Let me know where you’re off to next in the comments below!