Connection is your strongest Travel Motive!
“Life is beautiful not for the things we see or do. Life is beautiful because of the people we meet. ”
Definition
the act or state of connecting or being in relationship or networked with.
When people with the Connection Motive share their travel stories, they are often about the interesting people they have met, or the experiences that happen because of or with someone else.
Connection is inherently social and if it is one of your top motives, you are likely more of an extravert. People with higher extroversion thrive on being with people. But don’t think Connection is only an extrovert thing. Social connection registers in our brains in the same way as physical pleasure. Those who are more solitary and enjoy their own company psychologically need connection too. It just looks different sometimes. It may show up in a stronger sense of belonging when tracing down ancestral roots or learning about history that highlights a sense of identity and place in the world.
My husband and I are both happy introverts. Connection is not our strongest motivator yet connection is behind some of our strongest and most rewarding travel memories. Despite ourselves sometimes, it was through connecting with others that we were able to experience things we never could have imagined.
Connection and Well-Being
Traveling improves HOW people connect with others when they are on a trip but also when they are back at home. For example, travellers are forced to hone their communication skills to navigate through uncharted territory when ordering from a menu that they don’t understand, asking for help when problem solving has hit a brick wall, or asking strangers for recommendations. Travel communication done with kindness and gratitude as a visitor is great practice for communication at home. Plus the more we connect, the richer and deeper the experience and the better at it we get!
A few ideas to apply your Connection Motive
(home & away)
Go where people meet! Check out local cafes, markets, public parks, fireworks displays, festivals and galleries.
Design a pub/restaurant/distillery/ice cream shop crawl This is great fun in your own home town or make the plans for a dream destination.
Research the history of your ancestors' relationships - find a story about love or triumph, tragedy or scandal.
Read someone else’s story about connection in a foreign place such as Moloka’i, The Alice Network, or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
Learn phrases to "break the ice" in multiple languages and find people to practice with!
Follow my Connection idea and inspiration board on Pinterest!
Percolate!
Let these ideas sit for a while and seep into your thinking.
