05Jan14
It is nice being in a new city and being able to play tourist. Check out these flying dogs!
Yesterday, I had a great conversation with a friend Carolyn and her boyfriend who are doing a leap year of their own — which they have dubbed World Tour 2014. (Way to go!) It was an exhilarating conversation both because I love being able to help people, but I was also reminded of how Chris and I felt when planning for our leap year: excited, terrified, and excited.
I just read this article about the four Ps that lead to happiness: purpose, perspective, people and play. And it felt great knowing that what we are doing is helping in each of these categories.
Our purpose is to get outside our comfort zone and think differently about what we value. Every time we are out of our element but manage to get comfortable, it feels like an accomplishment.
Travel is one of the best ways to gain perspective, and I found myself smiling when thinking about some of Carolyn´s questions about full-time travel — the same concerns I had before we left, like putting a career on hold and what to do with our stuff — and realizing that I now have a different perspective on those issues.
Chris and I are getting lots of quality time with our favorite people, each other. The distance forces us to be mindful about keeping in touch with others. If you can believe it, we probably keep in touch with family and friends more now than we did when we were in San Francisco.
And play just goes without saying: we are relaxing, trying new things, exploring new places.
Of course, you do not have to travel for a year to fill your life with the four Ps. Although, it´s probably the funnest way. 
Did I mention that we have a page specifically dedicated to travel inspiration?
I leave you with this room of people working to gain perspective through art.
