(Admiring the view at a local park)

I’ve done a fair bit of traveling, now. I’ve been to sixteen countries and something like 19 states. But in all the grand cathedrals, not-to-be-missed sight-seeing, famous landmarks, and breathtaking landscapes, the travel moments I enjoyed the most were the quiet ones. The moments we spent sitting in a cafe just down the street from the Eiffel Tower, slowly wandering a tiny town hidden in the folds of the Swiss Alps, or having fish nibble on our feet in a bull-ring-turned-shopping-mall in Barcelona.

The moments that we slowed down enough to breathe and to realize where we were.

Even beyond travel, my favorite memories are usually those that are not rushed, are not accomplishments, are not even picturesque most of the time.
I treasure the memories in which I chose to still my mind and body, slow my busy life, and enjoy where I was and who I was with.

Let’s not forget what’s important, in all this day-to-day rushing.
It is more than okay to take a quiet moment. In fact, I highly recommend it.