40 quotes about travel therapy from The Happy Life Checklist

17 Nov

Amy Spencer’s The Happy Life Checklist was first published in 2014, and it’s been sitting on our shelf for years. I don’t pick it up often, but I still tend to slip it into my bag, thinking I might dip into a few of its lists when I need them.

And because my life usually centres around movement, I found myself drawn to the lines that echo the therapy of travel. Some directly, others in unexpected ways.

They are little reminders of joy for anyone who finds clarity or comfort on the road, whether through simple nature activities or small moments that feel like travel-inspired rituals even when you’re not going anywhere.

To keep them close, here are the travel-related quotes I gathered and appreciated from The Happy Life Checklist. I hope other travel lovers enjoy them too.

The best travel therapy quotes from The Happy Life Checklist

1. “Be your own hometown concierge. If a tourist approached you in town, what would you recommend? … Take your own best advice, and visit the local sights with fresh eyes.”

2. “Throw a ‘dart’ finger on your local map and go there. Add a dash of adventure to your routine. Hit a corner of the map, see what’s there, and pop into the closest diner for a cup of joe in a different part of town.”

3. “Hit a local highlight. … Check it off your close-to-home bucket list for a little sense of escape at your doorstep.”

4. “Take a different route home. Head down a different block. ... Check out the buildings, the shrubbery, the people. They’re probably much the same, just . . . different.”

5. “Give an airplane shout-out. When you see an airplane fly directly overhead, spend a minute speculating on where it’s headed. … Even if we’re not setting off on an epic journey, it’s nice to think that someone is.”

6. “Don’t run from the rain. Run in the rain. Rain is nature giving you a little shower. Hey, maybe it thinks you need it! So linger under the showerhead of the sky as it rinses you off for kicks. Relax and remember: It’s only water.”

7. “Discover something beautiful in an old familiar place. … Find something newly beautiful in a spot you’re in all the time.”

8. “Look out the airplane window. … Be that wide-eyed eager face pressed up against the window as you slip through the clouds and watch the scenery slide away.”

9. “Push through the brambles. Enjoy the scratches from life’s thorns as you head off the beaten path, every branch in your way a sign that you’re braving new ground.”

10. “Flip through a travel magazine or site. You may not be able to visit the places you see, but it’s a beautiful reminder of all the earth has to offer—from mountains to beaches to modern cities. Transport yourself there with your mind.

11. “Follow a wave or ripple. When we get a chance to see waves or a ripple of water from a tossed stone’s throw, we often take in the big picture of them all: the waves, the ripples. This time, follow just one with your eyes. Take it from start to finish, the full cycle of energy on a journey.”

12. “Travel afar. Let’s be honest: Your schedule will never be wide open, your bank account never flush enough. But you still deserve an adventure. Don’t wait until you’re older. Find a way to book a trip that takes your breath away now.”

13. “Applaud great feats of engineering. … notice the profound feats of engineering by hardworking human beings—from skyscrapers to dams ... Write a mental thank-you note for these gifts from our predecessors, a moment of respect for all they made.”

14. “Behold the show of the sunset. It happens every night . . . but just a little bit differently for every spot we stand upon the earth. It’s a small reminder that we’re spinning, in the universe, bidding good night to the sun while we rest.

15. “Appreciate an outdoor scent. The fragrance of grass being mowed. A neighbor using their fireplace. The scent of pine tress lining a path. The first few seconds of fresh rain on a street.”

16. “Bring someone to their ‘first.’ ... If you find yourself feeling accustomed to something you’ve tried or seen many times, experience someone else’s first to reignite how special it is for you.”

17. “Take in the zoo around you. ... Celebrate the wildlife we get to have at home.”

18. “Step into history. What’s the oldest spot in town? … Pay it a visit and notice the details ... It’s proof that while everything changes, pieces of the past remain.”

19. “Play some island music. Play a Hawaiian song, with the strums o ukulele, or a song from the Caribbean, packed with happy pats of steel drums.”

20. “Go barefoot in an odd place. Kick off your shoes on the rock jetty. The marble piazza. The mossy forest floor. This time you’ll grin while you ‘bare’ it.”

21. “Schedule vacation time! … Quick: Take off a Thursday and Friday for a four-day weekend to sleep in, play golf, or see a daytime matinee. Or find a full week three months from now and let your imagination stir after you claim freedom that’s yours.”

22. “Go to a festival. I promise: There is a celebration of something you love somewhere. … Gather with like minds to fest on what you love.”

23. “Put your feet in the water. Let it transport you. Close your eyes while the water collects around your feet or the tide washes over your ankles. … Step into it.”

24. “Close your eyes and swim into the light. There aren’t many times you get to do this one, but I promise it’s worth it: The next time you’re swimming in a pool, a creek, or the open sea with the sun shining low, close your eyes and swim into it.”

25. “Listen to the music of the rain. Rain may fall silently, but it lands with lovely sounds: in the street, the gutters, your flowerpots. Listen to the beat, the subtle notes it plays; a symphony of rain, just passing through.”

26. “Skip a stone. If you’re at the water with stones and your feet, the universe is asking you to toss a rock and try for a double skip.”

27. “Seek ambient sounds in real life. … Find a babbling brook. Chirping birds. Crashing waves. They’ll be even richer in person.”

28. “Find something in the clouds. As children, we found fairy tales in the clouds. What do you see right now?”

29. “Float. In a bathtub, in the sea, on a raft anchored in a lake. Feel the undulation of the water beneath you, the magic of the earth’s invisible glass holding you up.”

30. “Feel the sun on your face. ... Step out of the shade on a chilly day, close your eyes, and feel the sun on your eyelids, warming your cheeks, seeping into your soul.”

31. “Have a swim then fall asleep. … The next time you have an opportunity, plunge into the sea, then collapse under the sun on the sand. Or splash and do laps in a pool, then rinse off for a sweet, short nap. Float in the water, then lay flat on the earth.”

32. “Frame your own ‘Vacation Monet.’ Where are your vacation photos? Stored in a scrapbook or saved in a computer file? Turn one that gives you peace into a piece of art by enlarging and framing it. Display your favorite shot of the mountains, a lake, a cobblestone street, or a fountain in the sun. Relive one of the best sights of your life every day.”

33. “Take a walk through the forest. … find a quiet path in the woods, where trees tower above you, and take a ‘bath’ in the evergreens.”

34. “Upload a nature scene to your computer screen. Bring the natural world into your technological one. Feature a view you love—of a pretty meadow, a sunset vista, or a hammock on a tropical isle—on your laptop screen or as your smartphone wallpaper.”

35. “Go for an evening walk. … Step outside, under the stars, and take your sweet, strolling time. No destination required.”

36. “Follow the light. See what the light is doing at different times of the day: A morning glow lighting up the garage. Afternoon luster making shadows of little leaves on the building next door. Golden streaks from the setting sun on the kitchen countertop. Same home, altered vibe, through one single day’s path of the sun.”

37. “Conjure your perfect place. A meditation tape might tell you to ‘picture a relaxing place.’ Is yours a shimmering lake? A hilly mountain? A white sand beach at the sea? Know for sure what yours is, and call on it often for peace.”

38. “Head to the airport whenever you darn well please. I like to arrive two hours early; you might like to cut it close. … Go when you want and fly free.”

39. “Climb something. A monument, a mountain, the great steps, a hill. The view from the bottom is good, but your proud, panting view from the top is a well-earned extra.”

40. “Watch a documentary. Peek into another corner of the world. Open your own eyes to how others live and be inspired to see your own life differently—or maybe even to take action within in.”