A few years ago, I was on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala in a kayak with a friend. Surrounded by Mayan villages, the lake is one of the deepest in Central America and thought to have mystical properties. Lush, green hillsides consisting of coffee plantations surround its clear waters.
I let the boat glide for a moment, and rested my paddle on my thighs. I felt extremely at peace.
My traveling companion remarked, “This is a trip of a lifetime.”
I grew uncomfortable immediately. My one-with-the-earth-moment vanished.
I absolutely hate that phrase: a trip of a lifetime. I deplore this mentality that we have only one chance to experience life, and that we have one trip in our lives to explore our dreams. This mentality feels very American: the whole “I only have two weeks of vacation a year” crap.
Going one step further, it reminds me of those workplace martyrs who get some bizarre satisfaction about not taking their vacation time. Instead, they accrue it year after year, thereby forcing their employers to pay them out eventually. Studies show that people who take their vacation are more productive workers, and live healthier lives in general. I suppose when they do eventually take their vacation, it will be a once in a lifetime trip.
There may be some trips that are once in a lifetime. Like going to Antarctica. Maybe.
But please don’t say that to me. It’s the ultimate downer. I’m living the most when I’m traveling, and because of this it is an integral part of my system of priorities. I truly believe that if travel is important to you, you’ll figure out a way to make it happen often.
When I travel, every trip has its own magical idenity, not singled out as once in a lifetime…to never have again.
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