Intentional Travel Archives

Whether you’re going on pilgrimage or simply vacation, approaching a journey with intention can transform you from a tourist into a traveler. Find posts on intentional travel below, discover my favorite travel tips on the resources page, and sign up here to receive updates on new posts directly in your inbox.

Questions for the Pilgrim at the End of the Day

Reflection is an essential practice for the pilgrim.

Oftentimes, as we move through our everyday lives or travel from one destination to the next, it’s easy to miss the small moments where the True Self surfaces and the Sacred abounds. The spiritual practice of reflection heightens the pilgrim’s awareness of the journey at hand as they consider where Sacred Encounter occurred along the path and where the Sacred Guide is leading next. It is an especially valuable practice at the end of the day as the pilgrim seeks to draw meaning from their experience and make space for whatever the new day will bring.

To practice the awareness of the pilgrim, consider reflecting on these seven questions at the end of your day. Like the Ignatian practice of examen, use these questions as tools to highlight meaning in the day that has passed and look with intention on the new day to come.

Summer is nearly here and the travel season is upon us!

Even though you might not have an official pilgrimage planned, you can still easily infuse your next trip with a bit of spirituality. Add one of the following activities to your next trip a spiritual journey and see where it leads:

Do you have a touchstone?

You know, an object that instantly reminds you of your values, what you seek, and who you want to be.

Like the practice of pilgrimage, a touchstone is a physical representation of your intention and a reminder of your desires. In the Golden Age of pilgrimage, touchstones for the journey were common, with a different emblem representing each of the most popular pilgrimages of the day.

The most well-known emblem associated with a journey is likely the scallop shell representing the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, which still serves as a symbol for the ancient pilgrimage today. Other emblems of the ancient pilgrims might not have been so obvious or intentional, but can still be considered touchstones because they served as reminders of the quest, such as a walking stick to aid in the journey or a memento brought from home and used as a source of inspiration in times of doubt.

Whether you’re on pilgrimage abroad or journeying with intention right at home, a touchstone is a useful tool for the Seeker of the Sacred.

The travel season is fast approaching, so before you set out on your next adventure, consider this: Are your a traveler or a tourist?

The ability to travel the world is an amazing privilege that has the potential to be one of the most fulfilling opportunities of your life. When you travel to new cultures, you encounter new worlds, but to truly have the most authentic experience, you have to be intentional about it. That’s why it’s important to know the difference between a traveler and a tourist.

Here are five marks of intentionality that make the traveler different:

Packing Essentials for the Intentional Traveler

With my upcoming pilgrimage to Iona just over five weeks away I’ve got packing on the brain, so I’m sharing my list of packing essentials for the intentional traveler again, below.

With pilgrimage focused on leaving what is known behind and seeking Sacred Encounter beyond your borders, the pilgrim can’t be weighed down by heavy luggage and excess creature comforts.

However, packing light doesn’t come easy to most, especially when traveling to a new place. In fact, it requires some the intention of a pilgrim. Thankfully, if you’re already here, you’re well on your way.

Here’s a list of packing essentials for the intentional traveler:

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Which pilgrim path are you on?

Click on a path below to find your direction and discover practices to guide you along the way.
the pilgrim at home

the pilgrim abroad

Questions for the Pilgrim at the End of the Day

Reflection is an essential practice for the pilgrim.

5 Activities to Make Your Next Trip a Spiritual Journey

Summer is nearly here and the travel season is upon us!

What’s Your Touchstone? (+ new touchstones in the Journey Shop!)

Do you have a touchstone?

Are You a Traveler or Tourist? 5 Things That Make Travelers Different

The travel season is fast approaching, so before you set out on your next adventure, consider this: Are your a traveler or a tourist?

Packing Essentials for the Intentional Traveler

With pilgrimage focused on leaving what is known behind and seeking Sacred Encounter beyond your borders, the pilgrim can’t be weighed down by heavy luggage and excess creature comforts.

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