Wander and Wonder: Daily Awe Moments to Boost Your Travel Wonder
I’m an ooo-er and ahhh-er. When I am in awe, I gasp, I sigh loudly, my already big eyes becoming oversized saucers. I tear up quickly. Perhaps I’m wired to be awe-sensitive if that is such a thing, but I like to think my awe-muscle is simply in good shape. Nature and nurture - together boosting my happiness and overall well-being.
What are Moments of Awe?
Awe is defined as a sense-based emotion that we feel when we are in the presence of great vastness. (Keltner, 2023) Something that “blows our mind”, makes us curious with wonder, or maybe even unsettles or destabilizes us.
Since childhood, I have fostered a reverence for moments of awe when I get goosebumps or so choked up with emotion I can’t speak. Even as a shy girl and quiet teen, I’d jump into situations that invited those feelings by trying new things and meeting new people. Inevitably when I ventured outside my comfort zone I increased my exposure to awe. I believe that’s why travel is still one of my strongest (and most favourite) ways to find and experience awe - travel stretches my understanding, introduces me to new places, people, and ideas, and throws open a window to the world that never ceases to blow my mind.
Rest assured, you don’t have to be outside your comfort zone (or even far from home) to experience moments of awe. But it certainly has helped me practice the skills that prime the pump:
Heightened awareness and mindfulness
Sensory stimulation
Openness to possibility and creativity
Curiosity
Not surprisingly, children experience awe more frequently than adults. Their natural curiosity and openness to new experiences make them prone to wonder and awe. But as adults, we can renew and re-engage with these feelings by actively seeking opportunities and noticing moments. Good news!! When you approach it as a PRACTICE, like yoga or working out, you’ll find that the more you engage with awe, the easier it becomes to find it and feel it. The more moments of awe you feel, the stronger your capacity is for more! 🙌🏽
Wonder and Awe in Travel
In the book AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, author Dachner Keltner writes about awe’s 8 catalysts.
These are the categories of situations that typically elicit feelings of wonder and awe; elements that shape and define moments of awe.
Big Ideas - like quantum physics, unconditional love or simply a shocking revelation or epiphany
Nature - a huge category from rainbows to mountains, from seedlings to tides
Music - including playing, listening, feeling, and moving to it
Moral Beauty - witnessing deeply kind, selfless acts or stepping up to injustice
Life & Death - things like holding a newborn, anticipating death, or feeling the loss of a pet
Spirituality / Mysticism - including religion, belief and faith but also concepts like meditation
Collective Effervescence - the power of people coming together like at a Pride parade, dance, or sports event
Visual Design - beauty, art, skill mastery, literature etc.
When you look at his list and relate your own experiences, it’s important to acknowledge that awe is associated with both beauty and threat. For example, feelings of awe can come alongside other emotions such as sadness or fear like when watching an oncoming storm or considering events like 9—11 or COVID. Given my preference for the positive, my examples will be from happy awe moments!
I am far from an expert on this subject but after reading the book and listening to Keltner and others speak on the topic, along with my passion for well-being and my travel-loving brain, I have concluded a couple of things related to how to find more awe in life.
Take-away #1: TRAVEL is one way to find awe
My travel adventures are catalysts of awe. The following is a small sampling. Some are BIG WOW moments, some are small wow moments - both will enhance your travels. Just being out of your “normal” environment is the key. Moments of awe make me feel part of something much larger than myself, and come with intense feelings of wonder and amazement, humility and gratitude.
Visual Design - One of the most overwhelmingly beautiful places I have visited is the Alhambra in Granada Spain. I previously wrote about my visit here and called it an “overload of beauty.” The walls and ceilings are indescribably intricate, the windows look upon elegantly designed gardens, yet pervasive throughout is the sense of historical violence and war.
Moral Beauty - This image of a submarine is part of an immersive art experience in Bordeaux, France. What made it a deeply moving example of moral beauty is the fact that the location is in a Nazi submarine pen used in World War II. It has now been converted from a place of horror to one of exquisite art and music.
Collective Effervescence - Being part of a crowd in the streets of Sevilla, Spain as a religious procession plodded with solemn yet joyful energy through the neighbourhood. There was a sense of being part of something so much bigger than simply an observer. The smells of incense, the empathy for the men carrying the heavy float, the marching band, and the crush of people all wrapped us in wonderment.
Life and Death - I always try to visit cemeteries on my travels - read about tombstone tourism here. In Lisbon, Portugal I was particularly moved by the extensive use of symbolism to reflect individuals and their passions. Gravesites were arranged like a city with art and spaces to celebrate life while deeply honouring death.
For more travel awe inspiration read my collection of awe stories from fellow travel writers.
When I look through pictures or reminisce about adventures, it’s clear that I cherish (and actively seek) the thrill of exploring unfamiliar landscapes, immersing myself in different cultures, witnessing natural wonders, absorbing the sights, sounds, and music of a place, and connecting with people who are so different yet so similar to me. These experiences are also what makes travel so memorable. Learn more about the “sticky” connection between feelings and travel in this article.
Finding Wonder and Awe in Daily Life
Take-away #2: You don’t have to go anywhere to find awe!
Research confirms that moments of awe happen in our everyday, normal lives. We shouldn’t limit when we are open to awe or only expect it from big events, trips, or once-in-a-lifetime moments. Awe is found whenever we notice the extraordinary around us, wherever we are. Science has also identified regular habits that foster awe such as intention setting, time in nature, contemplation and reflection, mindfulness, meditation, and connecting socially.
While you can’t “make awe happen,” you can develop your mindset to be open to this emotion and actively choose activities that increase the odds of being awed. By noticing and feeling more awe at home, we can train our minds to recognize and appreciate the extraordinary in the ordinary. Strengthening your awe “muscle” by cultivating awareness in your daily life will enrich your ability to experience awe when you travel!
For example, these are a few moments of local, everyday awe as I wander and wonder in my hometown on Vancouver Island.
Music - I am in a family of musicians who have converted the garage into a music studio. The photo was from an “awe-some” party with live music and dancing, friends, and good food but it represents the everyday drumbeats and band practice melodies that emanate from my backyard.
Big Ideas —It’s been one year since a local mountain was devastated by a forest fire which “trapped” us in our community for over a month. Driving by the fire site now brings deep and complicated feelings of gratitude, sadness, and fear.
Spirituality - A middle-of-the-night attempt to photograph the Milky Way had me contemplating the expanse and mystery of the universe.
Nature - A slow and intentional wander through my garden reminds me how incredible nature is. I am amazed at the intricacies of flower petals that show up following the rhythm of spring, summer, and fall blossoms.
A “Practice” of Awe: How to find daily wonder
Some suggest that to help make awe a regular part of your life, you might consider:
taking awe or wonder walks - or what I call awe-ventures.
Watch nature programs
keeping an “awe’ journal - eg. write down one thing every day that filled you with wonder or amazement, a similar concept to a gratitude journal.
participating in creative pursuits such as music and art - appreciate it and make it!
learning something new - be a beginner (I wrote about the benefits of being a beginner here.)
Join me in an upcoming Awe-venture Challenge!
Make Moments of Awe a Habit: It’s Good for You!
This is, admittedly, an emerging science.
Researchers are just starting to have evidence that awe is more than just a pleasant feeling; it has significant psychological and physical benefits. At the University of California, Berkeley, Keltner and his colleagues have found an improvement in both health and behaviour with more awe. The moment when you feel a chill or get goosebumps your vagus nerve is stimulated. The vagus nerve controls digestion, heart rate, and the immune system. By stimulating this nerve, awe reduces inflammation, lowers stress and eases a huge list of diseases from asthma to heart disease, from anxiety to diabetes. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, is often released during moments of awe. Beyond simply feeling good, dopamine can make us feel smaller and more humble. This shift has been shown to enhance a sense of connection with others and to inspire kindness and generosity.
TRAVEL is undoubtedly one of my best ways to experience awe, but it’s not the only way.
Fostering an openness to notice moments of awe and wonder in daily life has all the same benefits - PLUS - it can enrich your travel experiences. As your awe practice becomes more fine-tuned you will notice more of the extraordinary in the ordinary. Embrace daily awe at home and watch how it transforms all your adventures into rich and memorable journeys of wonder.
