The Best Trip This Month Was One I Didn't Take

November was certainly a busy travel month. I kicked it off with a trip to San Diego for the Breeder’s Cup (read more about that here) and, shortly after, headed off to Austin for a week. But, the best trip of the entire month was actually one I didn’t take.

Yes, you read that right. My husband, Ross, won a last-minute contest with his favorite running brand that whisked him off to Paris for 48 hours. Meanwhile, I had to follow along on his adventure via social media and text message.

 While I certainly would have loved to be with him in one of my favorite cities in the world, I couldn’t help but find myself just as excited to hear about what he was doing. I wanted to know every detail about the surprises they had in store, the places he was seeing, people he was meeting etc. It was all the same energy I would have if I was there myself.  

I could have been angry or jealous, but I was so happy and excited for him to be having this cool experience.

Often, I get messages or comments from people saying they “hate” me or are “jealous” of my travel schedule. But, at the end of the day, travel is just something I’ve made a priority in my life. I take advantage of the opportunities that come along with my career and spend any extra money on trips over clothes or a fancy meal. It’s just a choice I made.

How often do we do this to each other though? We scroll through social media and feel envious towards others, whether that’s where they are, the clothes they have, or the people they’re around. But, why? It’s as if we all have this notion that there’s only a limited amount of happiness to go around.

Good news though! Happiness and love are limitless. Just because someone else is having a really cool experience, doesn’t mean you can’t have one as well. What would happen if you were just happy for that person and then did something that made YOU happy?

I didn’t get to go with Ross on that trip, but hearing him talk about the unique things he got to do gave us some ideas for future adventures of our own.

As we head into the thick of this holiday season, you’ll most certainly be inundated with these picture-perfect images. But, instead of being jealous, be happy for those around you, grateful for what you have, and think about what joyful experiences you want in your life.