I’ve taken many long trips to places like India, Japan, Europe, Canada and Singapore. Sometimes, I don’t remember much unless I re-visit old photo albums. Like Las Vegas, long trips are meant to be left behind — so what happens there stays there. The work-related trips are the hardest to remember. 😞

Yet, there are many short trips highlighting the vicissitudes of life where I remember everything…the meditation retreat, the dangerous hike where my party got lost in a cave, the wedding weekend where I hardly knew anyone, or the difficult hospital visits to see ailing relatives. During the shortest of journeys, I’ve captured long-term memories because I didn’t know what to expect. These life-altering experiences have stayed with me for the long haul. In this essay, travel writer Pico Iyer elaborates on what this means by reflecting on a quick getaway to Tibet over three decades ago.

Similarly, I’ve shared content and experiences in this blog as a reflection of what’s on my mind at a given moment.

Travel de-clutters the mind. Short trips off the beaten path can be meditative.