Apr

OIC’s Greatest Hits: Travel That Left Its Mark

by Your friends at OIC on April 16, 2021

5 Life-Changing Travel Adventures

Travel expands horizons, literally and figuratively. And invariably, some trips leave a lasting imprint. In the last nine years, our OIC bloggers have vividly recounted impactful journeys, capturing their feelings and the significance of their travels. Happy to share, they say, because their life-changing travel adventures left such a mark on their lives.

Looking back on OIC’s unique and rewarding travel stories and in appreciation of our bloggers, we’ve selected five posts for this collection of “Greatest Hits.” They’re the stories that left a mark on us as well.

1. A Tale of Two Jungles

Eva Boynton takes us to Quintana Roo and Mexico City, two very different settings. But, when experienced through the senses, these two seemingly different jungles—one leafy green and one of concrete—become strangely similar.

2. A Whirlwind of Whirling

Meredith Mullins’ quest for the whirling dervishes of the Sufi Sema ceremony led to a mesmerizing travel adventure at the crossroads of cultures in Istanbul, Turkey.

3. Heading South to Ecuador and North on Life Goals

Bruce Goldstone discovered how life goals shift as new curiosities are born. A language learning project took the author from brainwork in New York City to cultural exploration in Ecuador, an experience that then led to immersion in Latin American culture and the willingness to follow the odd drummer inside.

4. Amazing Places in the World: the Kumbh Mela

Meredith Mullins traveled to Prayagraj, India, to witness the largest peaceful religious gathering of humans on Earth—the Kumbh Mela. At this raucous Hindu pilgrimage and festival attended by tens of million of visitors, she found a kindness in the eyes of the passersby who came to rediscover themselves and find their very essence.

5. Walking New Zealand

Down sea paths, into the bush, along every kind of walking pathway . . . if ever a place was meant to be explored on foot, it’s New Zealand. Joyce McGreevy walked the trails and, with eyes wide open, found them to be paths of discovery.

Ready for more? Check out our Blog Topics & Archive section for more enriching and inspiring travel tales.