Life-Affirming Travel YOU ARE NOW APPROACHING DESTINATION AWE( SOME)
By Becqi Sherman
I thought I would never see my fishy friends again. Yet there I was, fins donned, mask in hand, preparing to jump into a lively, swirling mob of reef fish in the blue lagoon of Rangiroa. Something I thought I had lost forever was beautifully there, right in front of me, and I couldn’ t wait to submerge. The giant stride off the side of the bobbing boat felt nothing short of miraculous and affirmed I was alive and well.
We all experience grief, loss, hardships and in my case, a chronic illness that for several years separated me from many things I loved. Dark times might sideline us for a season, but hope has a way of persisting and revealing light and possibility. When we emerge from seasons of struggle, we often find ourselves rearranging our priorities and elevating those that promote wonder, joy and connectedness. This includes the way we choose to travel.
It’ s time to make your approach to Destination Awe( Some)— here are five ideas for ways to put your season of struggle behind you and start your lifeaffirming travel list:
Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Mexico
Witness a Monarch butterfly migration( Mexico) – Each year, up to a billion brilliant, orange monarch butterflies take to the skies on an annual migration beginning in the U. S. and Canada, and landing thousands of miles away in their winter
10 · ESCAPE Winter 2025