Through the years, I’ve spent my fair share of time on “speaking tour.” Basically that means that I would travel from city to city (usually five cities in five days) conducting full-day workshops. It may sound a little glamorous (or at least that’s what I would tell myself!) but by the time I flew into my first city, woke up at 6am the next day, got down to the conference room to set up and speak from 7:30 to 4, packed up my car and drove two, three, or four hours to the next city (for five days in a row) . . . I was exhausted and frankly a little bitter.
Luckily, it occurred to me fairly early on that I really wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to actually see some of the sites in the cities I visited.
Santa Monica Beach, CA
At first, I began by looking the city up online to find out what it was best known for (shopping, dining, nature, art, museums, etc.). Then, as soon as I arrived in the city, I’d go directly to whatever looked interesting. I’m talking right away, before I even went to my hotel. That way I had a chance to stretch my legs, hopefully catch a glimpse before the sun went down (especially if it was a park, nature trail, waterfall, etc.), and “reset” my energy before calling it a day.
BrandyWine Falls, OH – Breathtaking!
The great part is that I typically don’t travel with anyone else, don’t know anyone where I’m visiting, and rarely take selfies along the way. Which means I can wear comfy shoes and jeans and don’t need to worry about making sure I’m looking camera ready (but I do try to look a little cute, I’m nothing if not civilized!)
Mormon Temple, Salt Lake City, UT – very festive
I’ve also learned to review the route before I set out. If I’m going to hit peak traffic, I’ll find sites of interest along the way, where I’ll stop and shop, dine and relax while waiting for the traffic to die down. It sure beats sitting in my car and fuming!
Greenville, SC – beautiful spot!
Life is too short to wish our time away! I can’t tell you how many bits of Bliss By the Road™ I’ve seen that have taken my breath away and reminded me of what’s beautiful in this world. What are you waiting for? Go find your Bliss!
Arlington National Cemetery, VA – so tranquil