I am , again, participating in the Indie Challenge hosted by Bootsnall. Just like last year, I’d be posting an article a day, based on the question / challenge of that day.

>>you can join the challenge by clicking here

Nov 17
Seek Pleasure in the Simple Moments & Details.

If you only look for the big picture – the big adventure – the big moment to make you happy, you can end up becoming miserable “chasing the next high”. One way to stop this is to learn to enjoy all the little things when you travel.
QUESTION:
How do you enjoy the simple moments and details when you travel? What do you find pleasurable? Do you do anything to make sure you are finding pleasure in the small things as well as the big moments?
CHALLENGE: Ask yourself first-thing in morning: “What would make me happy today?” Whatever pops into your head – prioritize and make it happen.
What was the first thought you had? How does that make you happy? Did you get to do it/have it? How can doing this exercise each day help you find pleasure in the simple moments and small details when you travel?

I wrote this article on a Sunday afternoon, after my weekend duty ended. What would make me happy today? Doing 10,000 steps (likely on the treadmill). It would make me happy because it would get me to my goal.

However, when I travel, I think differently. I am sucker for the “pleasure in simple moments and details”. While we do have plans for “major” things such as visiting a castle I’ve always dreamed of visiting or going to a historical site like Herculaneum, we always seem to find tiny moments of happiness which spring from nowhere.

An example? We were in Bratislava. It rained heavily then the sun came out. During the rain I did a bit of research and found out about the “Blue Church”. All comments lead me to believe it was tiny yet very beautiful. As the rain stopped, we went out to seek it.

On the way there, we were “greeted” by a rainbow. I was so happy to see it. Then, the entire neighborhood where the church was located, has the same architectural features and pretty much looked like as they came from a fairy tale. The church itself was a dream.

Still chased by the clouds (see the photo above), we made our way to the Danube Embankment, where a double rainbow greeted us. It was one tiny thing after another and I still smile when I think about them.

Truth be told, visiting that city was like getting from one charming happiness moment to another: incredible cafes with very good food, a weapons museum I found fascinating (and only found it because I decided to check out what an entrance would lead to), the rainbows, the trip by boat…everything.