Though we may not like to admit it, we all know that the thrill of getting the next new “it” gadget or the perfect pair of new shoes fades remarkably quickly.
Experiences, on the other hand, actually feed our fundamental human needs: for connection, adventure, learning, meaning, and self-actualization.
In our overscheduled lives, we often lose meaningful connections with loved ones. Travel forces you to slow down and be present with each other, whether that's your spouse, kids, friends, or yourself. It provides the ultimate antidote to the loneliness epidemic creeping up in our society despite constant digital connectivity.
One of the reasons I started Nellie is because I’ve seen firsthand the power of travel to change people’s lives, even within my own family. One year, we went as a family to Greece—Crete and Athens—and our kids got to meet lots of locals and soaked up so much history, including stories of the Greek gods, which they’d been reading about for years in their favorite Percy Jackson books. Another of our favorite trips was to Harbour Island in the Bahamas where my then 13-year-old proclaimed that he loved “the quiet and solitude” of the uncrowded beaches. And on a trip to Germany, my other son noticed they value family over work.
I wanted to provide these kinds of profound experiences to as many people as possible.
Family travel
For families, travel is an incredible opportunity for bonding, education, and instilling important values in children. Whether it's walking alongside elephants in Thailand, learning about ancient gods in Greece, or learning to cook authentic carbonara in Rome, these experiences spark awe in children. Their minds expand as they're immersed in cultures outside their insular worlds. You can actually see the moment the seed of wanderlust is planted.
Travel can also help teach kids about our common humanity. When you meet locals in places like Vietnam, Guatemala or Mexico, you realize that despite surface differences, we all share the same basic hopes for our families and humanity. The myths of insurmountable cultural divides quickly dissipate through these person-to-person interactions.
Couples travel
Beyond family trips, couples can reignite their spark through romantic getaways sans kids. For example, I've seen couples come back from a trip, like walking the Inca Trail, with an entirely fresh outlook: reprioritizing relationships, finding new reservoirs of inner strength, feeling more grounded in what truly matters. A luxury shopping spree could never provide that kind of paradigm shift.
Even just a long weekend in a new place with shared adventures has been shown to boost closeness and rekindle intimacy. I've watched husbands and wives rediscover the spark that perhaps fizzled amid work stress and raising kids. Doing something simple, like kayaking together along a nearby coast, can be a relationship reboot.
Solo travel
And for any individual, vacations provide a chance to realign with your values and what really matters. If you want to focus on giving back, you can build a service component into your travels. If learning new skills is important, you can take a photography tour or cooking classes. The possibilities are endless for tapping into your passions and life goals through experiences.
When you spend money on travel crafted around your interests and values, you invest in your own growth and transformation. I’m not saying never indulge in the occasional retail pick-me-up (I do). But for true fulfillment, I'd encourage you to redirect some of your shopping budget into travel experiences. Because at the end of our lives, we won't be reminiscing about the stuff we’ve accumulated, but the experiences that made us feel truly alive.