As I travelled, I began to develop a sense of wellbeing through a process of peak/flow moments.

I consistently felt like an iridescent bubble, gently floating about an inch above the ground, as we travelled across the burnt umber, tundra of the australian outback.

It hadn’t taken me long to fully and consciously realise I – little ol’ me, was in Australia. A place I had wanted to visit from the moment I’d watched Skippy the bush kangaroo bounce across the TV screen, back in the 1970’s. As I’d sat in awe, visually absorbing the wonder of the living organism which is the Great Barrier Reef. The world had opened up for me then and in my belly, I had always desired to visit the places I’d watched and read about.

For a long time, I had been excited by how therapy could help others transform their lives, as a person relationally entwined within community and society. On my travels, I was able to transform experientially and discovered the importance of focusing on what makes you well, whilst dealing with what’s made you ill and remaining grounded in the here and now. Looking at it from a neuroscience of change perspective – it meant laying the foundation and then reasserting the new neural pathways in the brain, whilst at the same time, reducing any symptoms of psychological pain, until eradication or at least, until it was way less prevalent than previously felt.  I felt in control of my life.

Although congruence was not the intention here – it was being true to me and who I am inside, which led me to discover the importance of completing this task on a daily basis.

Humanistic psychology strives to empower individuals, enhance well-being, push people toward fulfilling their potential, and improve communities all over the world. verywellmind.com

I learnt that on my travels, when I was able to do what was best for me and do what was right for my family simultaneously, then that meant I was at my happiest.

It did not mean that I was constantly indulging myself and putting my wants and needs before the others but it did mean, that after a long time being in the home, focusing on young children, a marriage and society; I was experiencing a sense of freedom, which didn’t need to be instead of but had reached an important point in my life where it needed to be as well as being a mother.

I was able to focus on the things which made me well in my being – my dream of travel, movement outdoors, being a loving mum, an engaged and creative wife. The things which had made me unwell in my being, were gradually being looked at and explored internally, as I physically kept on the move.

I’m a great believer in that you don’t need to sit down to sort things out all the time, that sometimes keeping on the move, intertwined with looking, exploring, experiencing the felt sensations, combined with understanding what has gone on, is good. To be able to do this through the process of travel was something I’d found extremely helpful. As it is my passion, my love.

Australia brought me back to me.

I wanted to explore the national parks, scuba dive the barrier reef, visit Australia Zoo, hug a koala and wander the shoreline of Sydney Harbour.

I was able to do this and more.

Increasing my personal sense of happiness moment by moment.

You don’t have to be lost to travel but sometimes, it’s visiting all those amazing places outside ourselves -new sights, smells, places and things to do- which allow us to connect with the wonder inside and heal all that hurts – so whilst dealing with what’s made you ill, you can focus on what makes you well.

And to me, there’s no greater gift in life…