“Remember that happiness is a way of travel—not a destination.” ~Roy M. Goodman
After graduating from college I took off to explore Europe for four months with one of my best friends.
We backpacked through fourteen different countries and learned things about the world and ourselves that we never expected. We often joked that we learned more about life and ourselves traveling abroad for four months than we did going to school for four years in college.
When you’re traveling, you get a whole new perspective on what really matters, and you feel this sense of adventure and excitement that reminds you just how many possibilities you have in life.
Still infected with the travel bug, I decided last year to spend six weeks with a good friend in China. In the land of Buddhas, bikes, and chopsticks, I remembered three important lessons that have helped me find happiness and fulfillment in everyday life.
1. Great things can happen when you’re flexible.
When you’re traveling, you expect there to be bumps in the road or unexpected surprises, and that’s what makes it so exciting. If everything went as planned, you wouldn’t have a story to tell other than “I saw the Great Wall of China and it was large.”
If you’re being flexible, you open yourself up to opportunities that sometimes can stem from a single moment gone wrong.
My friend and I booked a few nights in a hostel in Yangshuo a week ahead of time with plans to stay in the same room together. Things didn’t quite work out as we planned. The management gave our room away, which meant we’d need to stay in separate rooms for a few nights. So we did, without complaint.
This is how we met Ping Ping, who worked at the hostel front desk. Because we were flexible, understanding, and patient, Ping Ping took to us and gave us an authentic experience we wouldn’t have had otherwise. She became our friend, confidant, and tour guide.
We spent several nights in her father’s house in her hometown, where we cooked with her family and shared the meal. We played basketball with local kids at a nearby school and toured a sacred Buddhist temple with her brother.
Ping Ping gave us the opportunity to see life in China well off the tourist grid—and she also gave us the chance to really know her. Not just as the person who checked us into our hostel, but as a genuine friend. It all happened because we were willing and happy to go with the flow.
It’s not always easy to be flexible in life. We sometimes get attached to rigid ideas of how things should work out, personally or professionally, but this can backfire and end up limiting us. When you’re adaptable, you open yourself up to possibilities that you might not even know are available to you.
2. Life is a lot more beautiful and manageable when you proactively create moments of awe.
One of my favorite things about traveling is when I experience a moment of awe.
In Yangshuo, I biked through a fairytale land, full of water buffaloes and small villages, surrounded by mountains curved like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. It was truly breathtaking.
However, the most amazing moment happened when I put my bike on the back of a bamboo raft and sailed down the river back to Yangshuo. The light from the day was fading away, and all that was left was the sound of nature and the stirring reflection of the Karst Mountain peaks on the water.
It was then that a feeling of calm came over me. My thoughts were pure. I felt fortunate to have this experience, and at the same time I felt so small. I couldn’t help but feel unbridled joy and freedom. Everything in life seemed so easy—and, for a moment, I was problem-less.
It doesn’t take something as grand as the Lijiang River, but for me, this feeling often comes from nature. Maybe it’s a beautiful setting that does it for you. Or an intimate, meaningful conversation with someone else—someone who is going through something just like you are, who makes you realize you are not alone.
These moments, when you remember you’re part of something much bigger than you, ignite a sense of awe. They’re humbling, and if you let them wash over you, you’ll feel a sense of connection and peace that makes all your problems seem manageable.
We need to choose to create those moments—to get out of homes, and out of our heads, and into the great, big world together.
3. You have to let go of where you were to get where you can be.
When I was young, my mother used to tell me and my brother to wave goodbye to places when we left them. If we were at the ocean, she would say, “Wave goodbye to the ocean!”
I remember waving goodbye and feeling the car rolling over the hill, and then it was gone. I didn’t know if I’d ever see it again.
After spending two days in Dunhuang, riding camels through the desert, savoring the culinary delight of another region, and exploring the Mogao Caves, we headed back to the train. It was a twenty-four-hour ride to our next destination.
As the train started to slowly move forward and gain speed, I looked out the window and waved goodbye (in my mind—didn’t want the Chinese family sharing a train cabin with me to think I was crazy).
I was there only two days. I had seen only a few of the 492 temples in the “Caves of the thousand Buddhas” and sampled only a few dishes of the local cuisine, yet I already had to move on.
As the train was leaving, a part of me wanted to stay. I knew that I would most likely never see the desert oasis town of Dunhuang again. But I also knew I was heading somewhere else equally amazing.
When you’re traveling, it’s easier to let go of a beautiful moment because you know the adventure continues. No matter what rolls by outside your window, there will inevitably be more to appreciate when you get off the train.
In everyday life, when you leave a moment you loved, it’s tempting to cling to it—particularly when you’re headed back to work or to a place you’ve been to many times before.
We forget sometimes that waving goodbye to one beauty allows us to wave hello to another. We may not know for sure what that might be, but there’s always something good ahead if you’re open to recognizing and appreciating it.
Benjamin Button said, “I was thinking how nothing lasts, and what a shame that is.” He’s right—they don’t. But it doesn’t have to be a shame if we enjoy each moment while we have the chance and stay open to the next adventure.
It’s been over a year since I returned from my last journey abroad. Naturally, I’m itching to travel again. But the adventure continues nonetheless, and I am open to where it may lead.

About Ehren Prudhel
Ehren Prudhel is the founder and host of Next Creator Up, a podcast that features inspiring and innovative creatives. He's an on-again, off-again creative himself, and co-founder of Tiny Buddha Productions and the popular online course Recreate Your Life Story. In his spare time, he travels, sings enthusiastically off key, and attempts humor. He's better at singing than humor.
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What a beautifully written piece, full of amazing insights. It’s definitely made me want to go out traveling again. I love the adventure of it, the scariness of the unknown, and giddiness of possibility. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hugs,
Melody
LOVED this!!! A great reminder that life is an adventure, but only if your heart is open! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve been traveling since I was 4 yrs. old and have lived many places…gratitude for life, for the amazing planet we are privileged to live on…travel is truly the best teacher of our lives. Mahalo nui loa from Kauai, HI.
I couldn’t agree more!
loved it! Make me want to travel more and more.
Thanks for this wonderful piece Ehren! It really resonnated with me. Life is really an adventure, even in your own backyard. Your wonderfully written story is a reminder to always be open to the moment, fully present and express gratitude for where you’ve been and have an intrepid sense of enthusiasm and excitement for the journey, wherever it leads. Best, Susan
i love to travel …it enriches me…<3
Love it, so very true and beautifully written- thank you
Awesome post! Loved every sentence of it. I love traveling as it gives me that ‘living in the moment’ feeling – and I love the way you applied the lessons to every day life.
Lovely! Thank you.
You put into words what I couldn’t about all of my traveling experiences. I have been so fortunate to see far off lands, be immersed in other cultures, and step out of my comfort zone and I am such a better person because of my travel experiences. Thank you for expressing so eloquently what I couldn’t – it’s the perfect way to explain to others what traveling has meant to me.
[…] was a quote on Tiny Buddha today that said: You have to let go of where you were to get where you want to […]
Thank you for the reminder.
Great piece Ehren! The photo of the mountains on the river is amazing!
I love this point, “Life is a lot more beautiful and manageable when you proactively create moments of awe.” Beautifully said and so true.
Wonderful.
What a lovely piece and beautiful perspective. Thank you so much for this thoughtfully written article! Flexibility and openness are so essential in all situations, but especially during travel when so many uncontrollable situations can occur. You’ve presented such a fantastic way to handle changes and create oppourtunities out of what many people would consider hassles or headaches. I really appreciated this today!
I’m going to start waving goodbye to places when I leave them. Too cute.
Thank you so much! All the best to you and yours as well.
Thank you so much! It makes me happy that you found enjoyment from my post. All the best to you!
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Thank you so much for reading. All the best to you!
Mahalo! We do live on such and amazing planet. And the Flower Island is a breathtaking place. I cannot wait to go back some day. Thank you for reading and all the best!
The unknown can be exciting or scary, most likely exciting because its scary. I cannot wait to travel again. Thank you so much for reading and all the best to you!
A person is never the same after traveling. I am glad that you have had the opportunity to see far off lands. Thank you so much for reading. All the best to you!
i loved what you said about flexibility – something i’m physically blessed with, but mentally…mmm, not so much.
and you’re so right – when i do “allow myself” to be flexible, when i nudge past the familiar and homey comfort of habit & routine, i experience a lighthearted joy… like a weight of “i HAVE to do this/that” is lifted.
i recently went on a family vacation to jamaica (i know; my life is SO tough). i’m the kind of person who thrives on routine & timeliness…so vacations can ironically stress me out. “yah mon,” i know it’s messed up. but that’s just how i am. anyway, i found that if i just let get, let myself go with the flow, i was able to actually enjoy myself.
i know i probably sound crazy to a lot of people – “straining” myself to enjoy myself on vacation – but it’s something that i’ve grown to accept about myself. relaxing is just difficult for me to do. but once i got past that first blockade of mental inflexibility, it got so much easier. and a lot funner.
i know funner isn’t a word – i was an english major – but i’m being gramatically flexible 😉
thanks for the awesome article!
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I live in Buenos Aires and go back and forth between North America and you are so right. Here in Buenos Aires, 5 things can happenin this country in an hour and you always need to open yourself up to a new way of doing things. The one thing this country has taught me is that if you open your heart and not insist on being set in your ways….a whole new world of rich experiences, friends, relationships, and opportunies can open up to you 🙂
Your piece touched me, especially when you talked of connecting with nature. Thank you for reminding me how much those moments mean. Thank you for putting into words what I feel everyday.
I love Tiny Buddha. And I LOVED your piece – enough to share it with my travelling facebook fans at http://www.facebook.com/VolunteerStays.
“When you’re traveling, you get a whole new perspective on what really matters, and you feel this sense of adventure and excitement that reminds you just how many possibilities you have in life.”
More please. – Adele
Love the opening quote and this post!
Especially like #2 “Life is a lot more beautiful and manageable when you proactively create moments of awe.”
I did a bit of traveling last year for work, so I had the opportunity to spend more than enough time on a plane 30,000ft in the air. While the lifestyle of staying in hotels and eating out isn’t something I particularly enjoyed, the views of the breathtaking snow-peaked mountains, stretching green landscapes, wandering clouds and clear-blue bodies of water, were simply amazing!
It’s like you wrote:
“These moments, when you remember you’re part of something much bigger than you, ignite a sense of awe. They’re humbling, and if you let them wash over you, you’ll feel a sense of connection and peace that makes all your problems seem manageable.”
That’s exactly how I felt! And I always aimed to have a window seat on a plane because of those awe-inspiring moments.
One of my most memorable moments is watching the full sunrise at 30,000 ft when I had an early AM flight. The blend of the blue, red and pink sky, while the radiating sun glows and rises is absolutely stunnningg!! I never experienced something like it before, and the pictures I took sure don’t do it justice. But that vision is forever ingrained in my mind. 🙂
Thanks for the wonderful post Ehren. 🙂
WONDERFUL!
WONDERFUL!
Wonderful post! It reminds me of my honeymoon in Moorea and how we stumbled upon one of our favorite meals while biking on the island: a French chef with a rotisserie chicken cart in an empty parking lot. Paired with fresh French bread and Tahitian beer bought at the local store, it was a simple yet fabulous dinner I will never forget!
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I loved your story! It made me want to travel again. It brought back all those feelings of being truly alive when you travel. It really is the small moments in traveling that you remember. Yes, there are all these grand monuments but in the end, it is the way an old man helped you find your hotel or a conversation in French with a fruit seller that really sticks in your mind all these years later.
This is my favorite part “You have to let go of where you were to get where you can be.” It’s so true. You can’t move onto the next great adventure until you say some goodbyes…
I love this line: “You have to let go of where you were to get where you can be.”
It’s so true in life. You can’t move onto the next great adventure until you say some goodbyes…
Nothing beats a window seat! Thank you so much for reading and your comments. All the best!
Thank you so much for sharing my post. All the best!
Couldn’t agree more. Thank you for the lovely comment. All the best!
It is not crazy at all. Thank you so much for commenting on the post. All the best!
Ehren.
This is an absolutely lovely, fluid post and I greatly appreciate your insights and writing style. Also, the photos were great.
The words that struck me were “You have to let go of where you were to get where you can be.” (I see that it resonated with other readers too.)Although I can let go and move on pretty well from event to event, after reading your post I realized that I don’t wave goodbye (in my mind or with my hand). I think it could be a powerful symbol to allow me to intentionally bid adieu and move toward another adventure.Thanks for deepening my day.
I really enjoyed reading this post. My favorite was the part about being flexible and the wonderful experience you had. A beautiful lesson.
I really enjoyed reading this post. My favorite was the part about being flexible and the wonderful experience you had. A beautiful lesson.
This was very encouraging especially since I’ve left a comfort zone I’ve known 4 30 yrs and moved to a whole new city to experience life and live life according to a whole new set of rules that aren’t being dictated by people who are well-meaning but don’t have a clue about my destiny or my purpose..
i like your post! hopefully i can travel the world soon. all the bestsssss!
i love the post! all the best!
[…] 3 Lessons from Traveling That Lead to Everyday … – Tiny Buddha While traveling in the land of Buddhas, bikes, and chopsticks, I learned 3 lessons that have helped me find happiness and fulfillment in everyday life. […]
“Nothing beats a window seat!” Couldn’t agree with you more! =)