A New Kind of Travel Joy

Getting lost in the winding streets of an Islamic medina

Watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean

Watching the sun rise over the Taj Mahal

Sitting in meditation beneath an Icelandic waterfall

Standing in awe beneath the dome of the Hagia Sophia

Swimming in the crystal clear waters of hidden Cretan beaches

Hiking the Dragon's Back in Hong Kong

Eating delicious meals all over the world

My list of joyous travel moments is long. I could list many more, but they won’t compare to my newly discovered travel joy: watching my daughter Jaya connect with people all over the world.

Angela and I love to discuss the pilgrim mindset: a sense of openness to possibility and curiosity about what's around us. I spent half my life learning how to cultivate this mindset. For Jaya, it’s natural.

We sat in front of Angkor Wat two weeks ago, watching the sun rise. Hundreds of people were there, so we picked a spot a little away from the crowds in front of the reflecting pool. Jaya sat on the grass in front of us. Sometimes, she looked at the people; sometimes, she played with the grass. She was oblivious to the sun illuminating the towers. And yet, she was fully in the moment. I filmed her because she was entirely in the pilgrim mindset. She was wholly absorbed in the moment.

We later explored Angkor Wat. Angela and I admired the carvings and statues. We also watched Jaya interact with other visitors. She smiled at guides. I watched two English boys ask her and Angela questions. Jaya received a blessing. She reached out to a one-year-old Khmer boy.

Watching Jaya naturally be a pilgrim is a new kind of travel joy for me. There is something unexplainable about being a pilgrim watching my daughter live as a pilgrim. And it's far more magical than all the joys I listed above.