How a trip around the world taught me to live in the moment

Eight months ago, Ksu and I returned from an extraordinary trip around the world. Over ten months, we visited numerous countries and every continent except Antarctica. We lived on islands, stayed in various hotels and homes, and witnessed some of the world’s most famous wonders. It was, without a doubt, the adventure of a lifetime.

Only now have I realized the most valuable benefit of that journey. We recently took our first trip abroad since coming back to the U.S., and during this trip, I discovered the priceless gift I received from our world travels: the trip taught me how to truly live.

Before, I was living, yes—but I was mostly waiting for something to happen in the future: the next trip, the next adventure. When we told our friends about our upcoming trip to Bermuda, they bombarded us with questions: “Where exactly is it? What are you going to see there? What’s your plan for each day?” We had no idea! It was just a trip—a few days of our lives. And it’s not that we’ve become complacent; I still enjoy everything immensely. But the point is that sitting on a patio, watching the ocean and the sun, makes me feel almost the same as when I go to work in the rain. It makes me feel alive.

We all work hard in our own ways and yearn to relax. The trouble begins when we separate our lives into vacations and everyday routines. We think of holidays as another world—something magical that will cure us. But as soon as we return, we start feeling miserable again. This is the main shift that has happened in my mind: I stopped dividing my life into work and vacation. It’s all just life.

I can spend an entire day sitting in a hotel room and not feel guilty about missing out on sightseeing or new experiences. And I’m 100% sure that I’ll be in the same mood on Monday morning, the first day back at work, as I am right now, gazing at the sun and the incredibly colored ocean here in Bermuda. Because it’s not about what’s around me; it’s about the changes that have happened inside my mind. It’s about being alive and living in the moment.