Thank you for your reflections on travel and flow. You put into words some of the feelings I've experienced when away from home. I'd like to share with you what came up for me: I believe I crave the occasional contrast of witnessing how life is in places I haven't experienced before. The way my mind interprets my life, compared to the other possibilities I see while traveling, gives me hours of reflection when I have returned home to my more predictable patterns (flow). I also travel with my significant other so it gives us time to be together without the interruptions of work commitments. Your words have given me a great conversation starter as my partner and I have been discussing our retirement plans. Thank you again!
This really resonated for me. I consider travel to be like any form of consumption. For me, it should be intentional and more is not better. I see people travel so much, it seems to make no impact, only to make them want more. I also traveled for work for years, which was exhausting. I have felt very strange for feeling this way, thanks for sharing!
Jordan, you put into words (beautifully, I might add) the exact same way I feel about travel. We both seek flow, and I've also found many of the same paths as you to achieve it. Travel is fine for a "break," (we loved our recent trip to the Arctic) but it isn't a Purpose in and of itself. True fulfillment can be found close to home, and those who think they'll find true joy in retirement from endless travel would be well advised to think hard about your post. Thanks for putting it so eloquently into words. We're kindred spirits.
I love travel - to wild places, not human places. I love seeing new animals and plants I’ve never seen before. Had I not traveled to tropical Argentina, I never would have learned about the “bat falcon” nor the rabbit-deeer creature, the mara. I am happier knowing such creatures exist and learning new stuff like that on each trip. But I find most big cities all pretty similar (to an extent) so I don’t seek out that kind of travel. I don’t know what that says about me, other than I love Mother Nature. Interesting post!
As an American woman, travel is a way to step outside of the roles and expectations that feel confining in the States.
U.S. culture is highly individualistic but paradoxically prescriptive for women. Expectations around productivity, appearance, caregiving, and safety can feel suffocating. Travel creates breathing room from these norms.
Other cultures emphasize community, leisure, or gentler rhythms, which can feel liberating for women. In other countries, women see everyday examples of different gender dynamics—slower meals, multi-generational community, less fixation on work—and realize there are other ways to live.
In a nutshell, American women like myself have long used travel to experiment with freedom unavailable at home.
Jordan, your post really resonated--especially since I've noticed that I have many friends who the only subject worth discussing is recent travel. I am not in a situation to permit long distance travel right now, although I enjoy it for what it is -- a break. I really appreciated the line “novelty isn’t flow”—a very important distinction. I seek flow too, and I’ve come to see it as the rhythm that supports my contribution, the part of life that’s not entirely about me and that gives me real purpose and flow. Flow is where I create, build, offer and it's where meaning lives along with my relationships. That said, I’ve also found that novelty can be a gentle break from flow. Not a replacement, but a way to stir excitement, to reset the senses, to remember that not everything has to be purposeful to be nourishing. It doesn’t have to be a “why,” but it can be a “nice.”
I appreciate your honesty about the costs of travel too--it's so refreshing to hear someone name the dissonance between what’s culturally celebrated and what’s personally aligned. Thank you for your work and a great piece!
I love to travel, but it’s not my why. I appreciate the routines and relationships of home and the new experiences of travel. I have probably grown the most by moving to distinct parts of the US. We moved back to my home state 5 years ago to be near family and plan to stay while our children are in school. Travel adds variety during this phase of my life, and I still want to experience so many places around the world.
Travel has been a big part of my life, and my experience of it has changed over the years. I used to love it, but after getting a job that required extensive travel, I started to hate it. Now that I don’t have to travel for work, I’ve learned to appreciate travel just for the adventure. I still don’t love flying, but I love connecting with new people and getting a glimpse into their world.
Thank you for your reflections on travel and flow. You put into words some of the feelings I've experienced when away from home. I'd like to share with you what came up for me: I believe I crave the occasional contrast of witnessing how life is in places I haven't experienced before. The way my mind interprets my life, compared to the other possibilities I see while traveling, gives me hours of reflection when I have returned home to my more predictable patterns (flow). I also travel with my significant other so it gives us time to be together without the interruptions of work commitments. Your words have given me a great conversation starter as my partner and I have been discussing our retirement plans. Thank you again!
This really resonated for me. I consider travel to be like any form of consumption. For me, it should be intentional and more is not better. I see people travel so much, it seems to make no impact, only to make them want more. I also traveled for work for years, which was exhausting. I have felt very strange for feeling this way, thanks for sharing!
Jordan, you put into words (beautifully, I might add) the exact same way I feel about travel. We both seek flow, and I've also found many of the same paths as you to achieve it. Travel is fine for a "break," (we loved our recent trip to the Arctic) but it isn't a Purpose in and of itself. True fulfillment can be found close to home, and those who think they'll find true joy in retirement from endless travel would be well advised to think hard about your post. Thanks for putting it so eloquently into words. We're kindred spirits.
I love travel - to wild places, not human places. I love seeing new animals and plants I’ve never seen before. Had I not traveled to tropical Argentina, I never would have learned about the “bat falcon” nor the rabbit-deeer creature, the mara. I am happier knowing such creatures exist and learning new stuff like that on each trip. But I find most big cities all pretty similar (to an extent) so I don’t seek out that kind of travel. I don’t know what that says about me, other than I love Mother Nature. Interesting post!
As an American woman, travel is a way to step outside of the roles and expectations that feel confining in the States.
U.S. culture is highly individualistic but paradoxically prescriptive for women. Expectations around productivity, appearance, caregiving, and safety can feel suffocating. Travel creates breathing room from these norms.
Other cultures emphasize community, leisure, or gentler rhythms, which can feel liberating for women. In other countries, women see everyday examples of different gender dynamics—slower meals, multi-generational community, less fixation on work—and realize there are other ways to live.
In a nutshell, American women like myself have long used travel to experiment with freedom unavailable at home.
Jordan, your post really resonated--especially since I've noticed that I have many friends who the only subject worth discussing is recent travel. I am not in a situation to permit long distance travel right now, although I enjoy it for what it is -- a break. I really appreciated the line “novelty isn’t flow”—a very important distinction. I seek flow too, and I’ve come to see it as the rhythm that supports my contribution, the part of life that’s not entirely about me and that gives me real purpose and flow. Flow is where I create, build, offer and it's where meaning lives along with my relationships. That said, I’ve also found that novelty can be a gentle break from flow. Not a replacement, but a way to stir excitement, to reset the senses, to remember that not everything has to be purposeful to be nourishing. It doesn’t have to be a “why,” but it can be a “nice.”
I appreciate your honesty about the costs of travel too--it's so refreshing to hear someone name the dissonance between what’s culturally celebrated and what’s personally aligned. Thank you for your work and a great piece!
I love to travel, but it’s not my why. I appreciate the routines and relationships of home and the new experiences of travel. I have probably grown the most by moving to distinct parts of the US. We moved back to my home state 5 years ago to be near family and plan to stay while our children are in school. Travel adds variety during this phase of my life, and I still want to experience so many places around the world.
Travel has been a big part of my life, and my experience of it has changed over the years. I used to love it, but after getting a job that required extensive travel, I started to hate it. Now that I don’t have to travel for work, I’ve learned to appreciate travel just for the adventure. I still don’t love flying, but I love connecting with new people and getting a glimpse into their world.