People often ask me, “Of all the places you’ve traveled, what has been your greatest adventure?”
My answer usually catches them off guard.
Many of my favorite memories somehow revolve around Disney. 😂🏰
I know. I’m a little strange like that.
But when I really sit down and think about the adventures that have shaped me as a person, the journeys that changed how I see the world and my place in it, those experiences happened far beyond the familiar comforts of home.
The Adventures That Shaped Me
Over the years, I’ve been blessed to walk on glaciers in Alaska and sip cocktails made from ice that has existed longer than our country. I’ve stood beneath the dancing Northern Lights in the Arctic and watched nature put on a performance no photograph could ever truly capture.
I’ve traveled across Iceland on a scientific expedition with my brother, exploring landscapes that felt more like another planet than Earth. I’ve ventured into the African bush on safari, watching elephants cross the horizon at sunrise and realizing just how small we truly are in the grand design of creation.
I’ve attended Mass with the Holy Father and felt the unifying power of faith among people from every corner of the globe. I’ve traced pieces of my German heritage through Europe and stood in places where my ancestors once lived, wondering what dreams they carried and how they would feel knowing where life eventually led their family.
I’ve wandered through the colorful villages of Ireland, sharing stories and laughter with people whose warmth made me feel at home despite being thousands of miles away. I’ve stood in Poland and listened to stories of life under communist rule, hearing firsthand how freedom can be taken for granted until you’ve spoken with someone who lived without it.
I’ve explored the crystal waters of the Caribbean and watched sunsets that seemed painted by God’s own hand. I’ve traveled from the frozen Arctic to tropical islands, from bustling cities to remote villages, from some of the wealthiest places on Earth to communities where families live with very little by American standards.
Each destination gave me something different.
Each one left a fingerprint on my heart.
The Blessing and Burden of Travel
Travel is a funny thing.
It is both a blessing and a burden.
The blessing is obvious. You get to experience extraordinary places, meet incredible people, and witness the beauty of God’s creation in ways that most people only see in photographs.
The burden is more difficult to explain.
Once you’ve stepped outside your own bubble, you can never completely return to it.
Travel forces perspective upon you.
You begin to realize that the way you grew up is not the way everyone grows up. The traditions you hold dear are not universal. The foods you eat, the language you speak, the opportunities you’ve been given, the freedoms you enjoy, and even the assumptions you make about daily life are often uniquely your own.
You learn that happiness does not belong exclusively to wealthy nations.
You discover that generosity is not measured by the size of a bank account.
You witness families with very little sharing everything they have.
You meet people who possess almost nothing materially but radiate a joy that many affluent societies spend their entire lives trying to find.
Travel Teaches Humility
Travel teaches humility.
It reminds us that our experiences are not the center of the universe.
It challenges our assumptions.
It softens our judgments.
It expands our compassion.
Most importantly, it teaches us that people are far more alike than they are different.
Everywhere I’ve gone, whether in a tiny village, a sprawling city, a remote mountain community, or aboard a cruise ship crossing an ocean, I’ve found the same basic hopes.
People want to love and be loved.
They want safety for their families.
They want purpose.
They want hope.
They want a better future for their children.
The details may look different, but the human heart is remarkably consistent.
The Place That Still Pulls at My Soul
Yet despite all of these incredible experiences, despite the glaciers of Alaska, the wildlife of Africa, the history of Europe, the Arctic skies, and the Caribbean waters, there is one place that continues to pull at my soul more than any other.
Without hesitation, my answer is India.
🇮🇳
Why India Changed Me
India is impossible to explain to someone who has never been there.
It is a place that overwhelms every sense at once.
The colors are brighter.
The sounds are louder.
The flavors are bolder.
The aromas are stronger.
The emotions run deeper.
It is beautiful and chaotic, ancient and modern, joyful and heartbreaking all at once.
India challenged me.
It humbled me.
It stretched me.
It forced me to see the world through a completely different lens.
I witnessed incredible poverty and extraordinary generosity existing side by side. I experienced a culture rich with history, faith, family, and resilience. I encountered people whose kindness and hospitality remain with me to this day.
What I touched, saw, tasted, smelled, heard, and experienced there will never leave me.
Sometimes I find myself tearing up just thinking about it.
Not because it was perfect.
Not because it was easy.
But because it was real.
India Gave Me Perspective
India didn’t simply give me memories.
It gave me perspective.
It reminded me how vast God’s creation truly is and how much we still have to learn from one another.
It taught me that discomfort often comes before growth, and that some of life’s greatest lessons wait beyond the borders of what feels familiar.
The older I get, the more I realize that travel isn’t really about checking destinations off a list.
It’s about collecting perspectives.
It’s about understanding people.
It’s about discovering pieces of yourself you didn’t know existed.
And sometimes, if you’re lucky, it’s about finding a place that forever leaves part of itself within you.
For me, that place is India.
And if God allows it, I’ll return again.
Because some places become destinations.
And some places become part of your story.
India became part of mine.
Ready for a Journey That Changes More Than Your Location?
If you’ve ever dreamed of taking a journey that changes more than your location, if you’ve ever wanted an experience that expands your perspective and leaves a lasting imprint on your heart, I’d love to help you create it.
Whether that’s India, Africa, Alaska, Europe, the Caribbean, or somewhere you’ve been dreaming about for years, the world is waiting.
And trust me, there are far more pages in the book than most people realize.
📧 sarah@traveladvisorsunlimited.com
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”
— Saint Augustine 🌎✈️❤️