Beyond the Routine

 

I enjoy long-distance road trips, and when I reflect on why, several reasons come to mind. They free me from the routines of everyday life and awaken my curiosity and sense of adventure as I head toward unfamiliar places. Driving roads I have never traveled before gives me a vivid sense of being alive—a balance of freedom and gentle tension. There is also a quiet satisfaction in covering long distances according to a loose plan, whether made in advance or on the morning of departure, and in broadening my horizons through experiences in unfamiliar settings. In this way, long-distance road trips liberate and stimulate the brain, increasing feelings of happiness and fulfillment. Yet even something I deeply enjoy would lose its power if it became routine. If long-distance driving were an everyday activity rather than an extraordinary one, my brain would eventually treat it as just another task, and I would instinctively seek a new way to reawaken it. Just as every journey has an end, so too does a long-distance road trip. When that moment arrives, I may feel a blend of sadness that the trip is over and a longing for home. At the same time, I am reminded that the center of my life lies in my everyday world, and I return to it refreshed and quietly grateful.

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