We often travel to see the sights—the mountains, the museums, the new cities that promise adventure and new experiences. And there’s absolute joy in that.
But I’ve discovered something more profound.
Recently, my wife and our youngest grandson traveled to visit our middle grandson, who is serving in the Marines. He is stationed at Camp Pendleton in California.
Our time together was spent seeing the sights, including museums and beaches. Of course, there were restaurants and parks. It was a great few days together.
On our last day, walking along the beach, he said something worth far more than the cost of the trip: “Thank you for coming out here to see me. It means a lot.”
In that moment, I realized this trip wasn’t about geography at all. It was about showing up. About crossing whatever distance was necessary to say, without words, “You matter to me.”
This trip reminded me of something I’d known but hadn’t quite articulated: as much as I love seeing new places, what I treasure most are the faces I already know—the people whose stories are part of my own-my family and friends.
Sometimes we travel to see a place. But sometimes—often the times that matter most—we travel to see a person.
The world is full of wonders, and we should see them when we can. But the people we love? They are wonders too.
And the trips you remember most vividly, the ones that lodge themselves deepest in your heart, are the ones where the destination was never really a location at all.
It was always a face. A voice. A presence that makes you feel more like yourself simply by being near.
That, I think, is the truest reason we travel.
EnSpirit 