How To Feel Fulfilled On Every Vacation. Top Tips For Meaningful Trip Planning.
“How was your vacation?” people ask. No matter the answer, many trips fade into the past tapestry of our lives as a vague memory.
But what about your handful of truly exceptional trips that leave you overflowingly fulfilled? What about the trips that, 10-15-20 years later, you can still remember the details and the joys and how they enriched your life? How did these trips reach the status of an exquisitely fulfilling experience?
Travel Memories That Continue To Feed My Soul
Some of my most meaningful journeys had different enrichment traits, but they were all deeply fulfilling to me.
On one trip, my husband and I went on vacation to Rome, Florance, and a driving tour of Tuscany. We loved witnessing the ancient ruins, seeing the works of art in person that we had studied in art history class, and tasting the wine unique to each Tuscan village. We look back on that vacation with blissful memories of our souls enriched.
Another travel experience that has forever enhanced my life is my study abroad program in foreign correspondence at the Danish and Dutch schools of journalism. I learned so much about the world that year, gained perspectives so different from any I had encountered and made friendships that have been joyfully vibrant and continue to enrich my life to this day.
Travel Memories That Had Me Less Than Fulfilled
I’ve also had some travel experiences that were the opposite of fulfilling.
For instance, the time I went on a solo trip to Barcelona. It was in the last days of my 29th year. I was caught off guard that I had outgrown the youth hostel culture that I so loved in my early 20s and found it to be a bit awkward. I still had some fun times, but it made me realize that I needed to have a travel focus going forward that matched my life stage.
There was another trip after I was married with a toddler. We met up with another family for a long weekend away. My husband and I wanted different things (he wanted to lay by the pool the entire extended weekend and I wanted to go out and explore the area). That made it very difficult to coordinate with the other family who also had their own things that they wanted to do. I was so incredibly sad that I did not reach my top soul-nourishing experiences of connection with others and exploring vibrant new places. I learned how important it is to communicate ahead of time with traveling companions to make it a wonderful shared experience.
What Makes Travel Meaningful and Fulfilling?
Fulfilling Experiences
What is it to feel fulfilled in our lives anyway? Several definitions appear in an internet search for “fulfilling” and “fulfilled”. According to Merriam-Webster and Oxford Languages fulfilling means …
experiencing happiness or satisfaction
meeting a need or desire, such as achieving something you’ve always wanted
feeling satisfied through fully developing one’s abilities or character
Applying these “feeling fulfilled” definitions to travel quickly brings to light to make the most of our life journeys:
Experiencing Happiness Or Satisfaction
Take some time ahead of your trip to consider what experiences will make you feel fulfilled, bringing you the most happiness and satisfaction in this specific season of your life. Reflecting and getting clear on your unique desired experiences before you make travel plans, or at least before your departure, will support you in enjoying the vacation that you truly need.
Maybe, upon reflection, you realize that a quiet ultra-lux setting to unplug, relax, and recharge will most feed your soul — so you seek out a beautiful, quiet oasis for accommodations with a gorgeous spa and healthy vibrant food. Maybe, you are feeling sluggish and burnt out and think an engaging, active experience is just the ticket — so you seek out destinations that have lots of options for outdoor adventures. Identifying your unique desires at this specific point in your life will make all of the difference in a vacation well-spent and thoroughly enjoyed.
Meeting A Need Or Desire, Such As Achieving Something You’ve Always Wanted
I instantly think of a “bucket list”. I instantly envision someone with a list of places they’ve always wanted to see and activities they’ve always wanted to do. What an incredible gift to yourself to keep a unique list of experiences that will mean the most to you in this lifetime.
Feeling Satisfied Through Fully Developing One’s Abilities Or Character
Developing one’s abilities and character is based on one’s unique interests and joyful curiosities. There are so many enriching options while traveling, depending on who you are and what you love. You could take a French cooking class during your trip to France. Take a race car driving lesson. Learn to surf. Try the next level of a sport that you love. There are so many options and they are experiences that will pop out in your memory as fully participating in your life and helping to make it truly amazing.
Gratitude
Gratitude is not a definition of “fulfilling” like in the sections above. However, feeling gratitude in integral to feeling fulfilled, and will help you notice the little details and moments that become fulfilling experiences. While you are on your trip, noticing and feeling gratitude for all of the things that are going well, no matter how small, will bring a beautiful light to our journeys. Especially if your logistics are going quite as expected, making it a point to notice the joy around you will make a big difference in how you remember your time away.
Meaningful Experiences
Working in tandem with “fulfilling travel” is “meaning travel”. You drive across the state or the country … now what? How do you find meaning there?
Meaningful is defined as:
full of significance, purpose, or value
having a serious, important, or useful quality or purpose
- (or simply) having meaning
Applied to travel, meaningful experiences are therefore based on an individual’s values… what’s important to you, and what brings a sense of purpose to your life? Below we look at externally finding meaning out in the world as well as finding meaning within through personal, internal growth while traveling.
Cultural Immersion and Authentic Connections
Isn’t this one of the best things? To have friends and connections across the globe. To have friends and connections that speak different languages and live life in an entirely different way, while still sharing an inter-personal relatedness with you.
Even remembering people who briefly touched your life during your travels can bring a sense of wonder and a smile to your face.
Engaging with local cultures while traveling offers a transformative experience that goes beyond mere sightseeing. It involves immersing yourself in the traditions, customs, and daily life of the community, fostering a deeper understanding of the destination. Learning about different ways of life becomes a journey of discovery, as you gain insights into the unique perspectives and practices that shape local identities.
Some examples of cultural immersion are participating in a tea ceremony in Japan, attending a Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico, eating at the hawker markets in Singapore, enjoying an informative port tasting session in Portugal, and paddling an outrigger canoe in Hawaii. By striking up conversations with those around you, during these cultural immersion opportunities, you will be amazed at how much more you enjoyed them.
Personal Growth and Unique Experiences
There are so many occasions when we simply want to get out of town and enjoy the broader world. After many months of intensive work, we seek expanded experiences to feel fulfilled. After a painful life event, it can be so helpful to get out of town for a bit to help with the healing process. Celebrating joyous events also prompts travel like honeymoons, retirement trips, or milestone birthday trips.
Traveling is a powerful catalyst for personal growth. It encourages individuals to step out of their comfort zones and embark on transformative journeys.
When travelers engage in this mindful approach, they not only discover the beauty of the world but also unravel the layers of their own selves. I love to bring a journal with me to record my thoughts and capture my experiences. It’s a great way to feel connected to myself and fulfilled after the trip.
Unique experiences while traveling also add texture and depth to our lives. I will always remember night diving with manta rays of the Kona Coast in Hawaii, the packs of wild dogs running through the streets of Bucharest, riding bikes with friends along the canals of Utrecht, my son’s first trip to Disneyland, and boating in British Columbia. I have so many travel memories like this that I cherish.
Fun Experiences
Last, but not at all least, there are fun experiences. Ideas for fun activities span the breadth of every individual’s interests, including adventure activities, culinary exploration, cultural festivals and events, destination-specific outdoor recreation, historical and architectural exploration, arts and entertainment, wellness, shopping at local markets, water activities, festive nightlife, unique accommodations, and local experiences. There’s nothing quite like a super fun time to have you smiling and fulfilled. Check out this post: Bliss Discovered: How To Enjoy Fun Vacations Every Time.
Importance of Planning Personalized and Enjoyable Travel Itineraries
Setting aside time to check in with yourself and identify what you want to experience on your trip can make all the difference in whether you return home disappointed or fulfilled. Remember to touch base with your traveling companions early in your planning process to make sure everyone’s hopes and desires are included.
The trifecta of a vacation being meaningful, fulfilling and fun creates the holy grail of trip planning, the bullseye, the sweet spot, the cherished journey.
Conclusion: How To Feel Fulfilled On Every Vacation
Let’s face it. We want to make the most of our travels and explorations of the world. We only have so much time to get away and we want to cherish it. No one wants to return from travel feeling empty. People want to return fulfilled with enriching memories, having expanded their lives and having enjoyed their time.
By prioritizing a life-loving approach to travel planning, where you carefully consider an itinerary encompassing meaning, satisfaction, purpose, and fun, you will gift yourself the experience of a lifetime, every time.
What’s next? Get ready to go!
With your fulfilling and meaningful travel plans in place, it’s time to get ready.
See The Most Useful Travel Accessories for Women to expedite your travel prep.
If you are heading to a warm-weather or tropical destination, check out What To Wear In the Tropics for the ideal clothing to keep you cool in stylish comfort.
