Eight Reasons Why Travel is the Best Tonic For Self Discovery

Eight reasons why travel is the best tonic for self-discovery is one of the philosophical pillars in my debut book, Unpack Your Personality: Let Your Inner Guide Be Your Travel Guide. As a travel insider for over a decade, I know full well that time spent away is an elixir for self-discovery. Over the past ten years, I have learned that time away from daily routines is a powerful stress reliever. For many of us, our daily lives have become overrun with busyness, monotony, and listlessness.

“Our data reveals that 95 percent of people believe they are self-aware, but the real number is 12 to 15 percent,” she says. “That means, on a good day, about 80 percent of people are lying about themselves—to themselves.” Tasha Eurich, author of the book, Insights 

Travel Can Be A Supportive Tool For Self Discovery Through Spiritual Personality Typing

If you don’t know your personality type, traveling for self-discovery can feel impossible. Most of us think we know ourselves, but that simply isn’t the case. Research by Tasha Eurich shows that while 90% of people believe they understand themselves, in reality, only 10% truly do.

Honestly, I suspect our separation from ourselves stems from a conditioned, linear mindset that has been ingrained in us since childhood. Our logical selves have come to value what others deem important, often without question. This is the way of a conforming society—at least in my experience in the U.S.

Exploring your true self while on vacation can reveal aspects of your personality that help you reconnect with your authentic truth. As the saying goes, the truth will set you free—and I know this to be true.

Cognitive Functions Harmonious or Disharmonious?

The desire to travel for self-improvement is an admirable journey—congratulations on taking the first step. My own seven-year “life tsunami” taught me that until I reconciled with my personality type (I’m an ENTP, according to the Myers-Briggs® framework), the world would continue to feel chaotic, fearful, and overwhelming. It’s the uncertainty within, and the underdeveloped cognitive abilities, that lurk around every corner, keeping doubt, anxiety, and confusion at the forefront of your mind. You can’t achieve mental clarity without understanding the capabilities of your own cognitive functions.

I realize there are many personality type assessments, but I prefer Myers-Briggs®, as I’ve come to see it as a fluid assessment that meets you where you are in life. Nina Zapala, founder of Spiritual Personality Typing.

Here is a list of blog posts that can kick start your spiritual personality type journey to self-understanding:

• 33 Ways to Love Your Personality
• 16 Personalities: What Is So Wonderful About You
• What Happens When Your Personality Isn’t Soul-Centered?

The Soul’s Role in Personality Typing

For the past decade, I’ve studied the soul’s role in personality typing. Here’s what I now know: I had to set aside the belief that we are linear beings and that logic is the only solution. I now see this as a falsehood. Through my studies, working with spiritual psychologist Dr. June Lee Nix, Ph.D., earning a certificate in Myers-Briggs instruction, and applying everything I’ve learned to navigate my own life tsunami, I discovered that we all have a spark of Divinity within us—this is where real “soul-utions” are found.

I believe the Divinity within each of us is akin to our spirit mind—a Divine intelligence, if you will. The true self acts as a bridge between the spirit mind and our logical mind. When our personalities are unhealthy, they tend to operate from a place of fear. Fear cannot connect with our spirit mind, our true center of knowledge, so it waits patiently until we are ready to acknowledge it.

When we come to know our true selves, we naturally allow our spirit mind to lead, recognizing that it relays messages from Divine Intelligence to our logical minds. These divinely inspired messages are expressed through our personality type, prompting us to take inspired action—always for the greater good. This is why I strongly suggest you fully embody your personality type; it is paramount to living a life of harmony, pure potentiality, and authentic self-expression.

Eight Reasons Why Travel is the Best Tonic for Self-Discovery 

Note: Travel is a freedom ride. It’s expansive, allowing you to express your true self and experience what is truly meant for you. This is the power of soul alignment, and these eight reasons are a great place to start.

1. New Perspectives and Cultures

Travel opens doors to fresh viewpoints and challenges the way you see the world. By engaging with new cultures and questioning your assumptions, you gain a deeper understanding of yourself, your values, and your place in the world.

2. Stepping Out of Comfort Zones

Leaving familiar surroundings pushes you beyond your limits. Facing new challenges and uncertainties helps you uncover hidden strengths and weaknesses—essential knowledge for understanding your true personality.

3. Reflection and Solitude

Intentional moments of solitude while traveling allow you to slow down, reflect, and rethink habits that no longer serve you. These reflections often reveal unhealthy patterns, clarify your personality type, and help define your authentic self.

4. Freedom and Independence

Creating and managing your own itinerary, and making independent decisions, puts your decision-making skills to the test. This independence-building experience highlights what truly matters to you in life.

5. Experiencing Novel Activities

Trying new things is a hallmark of travel. These experiences can unlock passions and interests you never knew you had, expanding your self-awareness and enriching your life.

6. Disconnecting and Mindfulness

Stepping away from daily pressures lets you focus on the present. Practicing mindfulness on the road gives you real-time insight into your thoughts, emotions, and immediate reactions.

7. Learning About Yourself Through Interactions

Travel brings frequent encounters with new people, revealing how you relate to others and the world. These interactions spotlight areas for personal growth, especially in communication and connection.

8. Appreciation and Gratitude

Exposure to different lifestyles and living conditions fosters gratitude for your own life. Recognizing your blessings deepens your understanding of your values and priorities, regardless of personality type.

 

The world will ask you who you are, and if you don’t know, the world will tell you. – Carl Jung, founder of analytical psychology.

 

Travel A Tonic for Self-Discovery

Can you see why I staunchly believe that travel is a tonic for the soul? Travel offers a real-time opportunity to observe your personality type in action. It’s an enriching environment—a living classroom for self-discovery—that exposes you to diverse experiences. This encourages self-reflection, fosters personal growth, and provides countless opportunities to step outside your comfort zone.

This post offers a sneak peek into my book, Unpack Your Personality: Let Your Inner Guide Be Your Travel Guide. It’s part memoir (my story of self-discovery through travel), part introduction to Spiritual Personality Typing℠—a reimagining of Myers-Briggs (MBTI) through the lens of spiritual alignment—and part personalized travel guidebook. The idea is that all of these roads lead to self-discovery.

Please know that I curate these posts to be both meaningful and educational, designed to help you navigate the needs of your sacred personality type on the road, in business, and in life. If you’re interested in exploring your unique travel personality type, feel free to contact me me for a one-on-one travel session.

Ready To Get to Know Yourself

Photo Credit: Rachel Claire