Travel Is More Than Sightseeing; It Fundamentally Changes Your Brain

I just returned from a trip to the Balkan region of Europe. The trip confirmed there is much more to become imbued with from the experience than simply having a holiday. In fact, at times, it feels like an out-of-body experience.

A few times, we conversed with people much younger than ourselves, some young enough to be our grandkids. We like to adventure, sometimes taking risks that people our age "shouldn't" be doing. Shouldn't isn't in our vocabulary.

One person said, "I wish my parents would do what you do. Instead, they just sit and vegetate and act old". Another young couple told us about their parents in Lithuania, who are 10 years our junior but are already "old".

Someone we know told us they couldn't do what we did, activities like hiking in the mountains, rafting or kayaking. My question is, "Why not?" So many become prisoners of their own making

If you allow yourself to get beyond yourself, something magical happens. Most of what we do daily is focused on us—in the body. When we travel, especially in inspiring locales, we experience something beyond ourselves.

We also see that people in other countries have different life experiences. So how does that help us? We can start to appreciate our own lives. Too often, we have ingratitude when we should be grateful for life as it is.

We experienced several examples, especially in Albania. That country has only experienced freedom for 31 years. Can you imagine living without autonomy under a communist regime? Can you imagine needing permission to move from one town to another? What about criticism of the government? You would disappear overnight. That is what life was like for the people of Albania.

While the Albanians clearly have their struggles, they appreciate freedom, and some even seem perplexed why we in countries like Australia, the U.S. or Canada have anything to complain about.

So what do Albanians, Croatians, and Montenegrins want?