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There I was lying underneath the night sky. I felt tears start to well up in my eyes. At first, I didn’t know why, but I knew they were tears of joy. I was soaking in the moment, lying under the stars, surrounded by desert, rocks, and Joshua trees. That is when I realized that this was a type of happiness I hadn’t felt in a long time. That is when I re-discovered my travel mindset.
Like everyone else, I took a hiatus from traveling. I used to try to get out of town as much as possible on the weekends. Then, of course, COVID-19 happened, and all that came to an abrupt halt. Just recently, I decided to dedicate my free time to exploring the natural wonders all around me. I grew tired of not doing anything and wanted to travel in a safe, socially-distanced way. I lived in California my entire life, but Joshua Tree marked only the second of nine California National Parks that I’ve visited.
People say great things about Joshua Tree National Park, so I figured that I would start there! To be honest though, I didn’t expect too much from it. It’s the desert; how great could it be?? Typically, I am more of a mountains, beach, or city person. Most of my exploration took place in those types of environments. I never explored the desert before, and I didn’t know what to expect. Would I like it? It turned out that I LOVED it. I never thought that the desert could be so breathtaking.
The park was more beautiful than anticipated. There were so many rocks that it was like a playground. The trails were any hiker’s dream. It is the perfect place to let your soul roam free to explore and be adventurous. That is exactly what we did! We had no set itinerary; we played it by ear. Even the decision to go down to Joshua Tree was a spontaneous one, because you know what, I was done. I was done sitting at home and not indulging my wanderlust spirit.
New adventures during COVID-19
While the park was gorgeous, what I want to talk to you about is my journey getting back into traveling after COVID. During this time of COVID, people have put a halt on their life. I 100% agree to be as cautious as possible and to not be around people. I mean, this is a pandemic we are talking about! My desire to travel is nothing of importance in the midst of a pandemic. However, in that moment of lying beneath the stars in Joshua Tree National Park, I realized how vital traveling is to my happiness.
If you asked me before that moment if I was unhappy, I would say no. I didn’t feel unhappy in any way. My life was good. I am fortunate enough to not have any loved ones severely affected by COVID. So, I considered myself to be happy. In that moment though, I looked inwards and realized that THIS was true, genuine happiness. I also realized that something had been missing all these months… my travel mindset.
What is the “travel mindset”?
You may ask, “what is the travel mindset?” Well, it’s the explorer’s mindset. It is recognizing that there is a world of unknown all around you. It is knowing that it doesn’t take you going far to explore that unknown and to learn or experience new things. I always try to live with a travel mindset. Unfortunately, during COVID, that mindset faded.
During this moment in Joshua Tree National Park, I felt it come back. It was almost like an epiphany; I felt all that passion flood back into me. I knew in that moment that I am ready to get out there and see the world, even if it is just the world that is within driving distance.
Joshua Tree was incredible and, obviously, got me all in my feelings about everything going on and about my love for traveling. It also made me realize that the places and experiences that you least expect can have the biggest impact on you. Laying there in that moment, I decided that I am going to take life as it is. I don’t know when things are going to go back to normal or if they ever will. This all may turn into the “new normal.” All I know is that I am going to take things as they are and run with it.
Traveling doesn’t require you to go to some faraway land. I mean, it was a six hour drive for us to get to Joshua Tree, but it could be stepping in your own backyard. I plan to dedicate the next eight months to traveling the beautiful state of California, the place I have called home my entire life but have seen less of than some places on the other side of the world. Not only do I plan to do it, but also to share my adventures and encourage other people to do the same.
Living life with a travel mindset
A travel mindset is crucial and what makes traveling such an enjoyable experience. The travel mindset shows that there is so much more to traveling than sightseeing. Especially in California, we can experience different cultures and alternative perspectives within a few miles.
I encourage others to approach life with the travel mindset, because it is what defines my life. This is especially true in my endeavor to get out of my comfort zone and see the world for what it is, an incredible wealth of knowledge and adventure. It helps me to witness others pushing comfort boundaries and embracing the travel mindset. In fact, that served as my reasoning to travel to Joshua Tree. I saw that other people were traveling there during COVID and able to do so in a safe way. It encouraged me to do the same, and here I am writing about it.
Joshua Tree will always have a special place in my heart because of its impact on me. It inspired me to go seek other adventures that I can do in the present moment. So follow along as I explore California and write about it along the way.
Great insights, Elaina! I like how you used Joshua Tree to cover your theme. There’s something very special about the desert…
I agree! During Covid I’ve spent so much time in local parks in my city, some I didn’t even know were there! It’s incredible what we can miss close by when we’re looking out and far and exotic destinations.