I just got back from autumn-dusted Boise, Idaho, this weekend. Time ticking away on covid-cancelled flight credits, I snatched up the opportunity to visit a dear friend and her brood of energetic family members. As a travel writer, you’d think I would have pushed for running around to see-and-snap all the spud-tastic highlights Boise… and a lot of trips that is my M.O.

But this trip I sought peace.

My life – both personal and professional – has been racing at breakneck speed. And as much as travel can add to the chaos, I knew this trip would be different. Sure, I packed my work along and peeked in at it a few times. But I absolutely prioritized disconnection. Other than my daily Wordle, I didn’t play games on my phone, texted minimally, and avoided social media. My knitting needles got a good workout. I sat outside and reveled in the perfect temperatures and sunshine that comes with fall. I embraced time with the five- and eight-year-old girls (missing my own nearly-seven-year-old daughter all the while). Giggling with a tiny redhead who renamed my children “Frank, Fred, and Grapevine” (and actually responding to my new preschooler-endowed moniker, “Microphone”) brought so much joy to my heart. And the deep, honest conversations with a friend, who lives far too many miles away, reminded me of who I really am inside. The trip was rich with memories and space to breathe.

Ultimately, that’s the reason we travel, isn’t it? To explore parts of ourselves we may have forgotten – or haven’t discovered yet; to reconnect with life outside our daily grind; to fill our hearts with memories. Those are at the core of what we chase with the miles journeyed. We find them through exploring cities and interesting attractions, by eating foods unique in flavors or environment, by experiencing a world different than our own. I would say 90% of my travel falls into the active, adventure model… but sometimes we need the “boring” trip. No itinerary, no goals or bucket lists, no stress. I travelled to be present, taking each day as it came (because I can’t in my day-to-day).

And while I’m excited for my next few trips coming up, I’m incredibly grateful for the leisurely neighborhood walks through Hyde Park under the red and gold leaves of the season, folding colorful squares into origami creatures with a third grader, and the endeavor of decorating for a “rainbow dinosaur” birthday party in the backyard with tiny helpers. Life slowed down for three days. Three days of respite. In a cool destination to deep-dive into on another trip.

Sometimes we need to travel for peace, too. An anti-adventure of your very own.