Choosing Adventure to Reconnect to the Big Picture

Opt outside. Climb every mountain. Take the road less traveled.

We hear these adages and we see our Instagram feeds fill with people in cute camping clothes on foliage-filled hikes. But maybe there’s a way to experience more in the outdoors than just the fresh air and good views — though those are worthy on their own.

Certainly, we are called to search for holiness in the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives, but travel and experiencing new things can help us see the big picture and better recognize the Creator’s hand.

There’s something about the beauty of the outdoors that makes us look within ourselves. Looking upward and outward reveals something essential about our inmost beings. As C.S. Lewis writes, beauty “betrays us by revealing our inconsolable secret” — the secret that St. Augustine described simply as “restlessness.”

That’s what we love about this video about a travel adventure to the Galapagos Islands — it’s full of beauty, both in the world and in the human person. The trip is coordinated by Creatio, an organization that helps people serve the poor while experiencing international travel adventures.

Ultimately, we are moving toward the horizon of eternity, but it’s easy to forget that’s the journey we’re on when we get inundated with the mundane details of our lives. So if you’re feeling like you’re stuck in a rut, think about stepping outside of your comfort zone with travel, a pilgrimage, or service to the poor — or all three! And if you can’t invest in a big experience right now, even a walk outside can reorient your day.