Travel and Personal Growth: Laura Giles On Why & How Traveling Can Help Us Become Better Human Beings

An Interview With Maria Angelova

Prioritize. Travel presents so many opportunities. There aren’t enough hours in the day or enough money to do them all. Knowing what is meaningful to you can be the difference between a packed, mediocre trip and space to savor what warms your heart.

Thankfully, the world is open for travel once again. Traveling can broaden our horizons and make space for people to become more open-minded. How can travel give us the opportunity for personal growth? What are some ways that travel can help us become better human beings? As a part of our series about “How Traveling Can Help Us Become Better Human Beings”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Giles.

Laura Giles has been taking people on magical, spiritual adventures since 1999. Her experience as a holistic trauma therapist allows her to create a safe container so that the highlight of her retreats are the inner transformation.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?

When I was about eight or ten years old, someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I responded that I wanted to be a United Nations interpreter. I had no idea what that meant, really. I just knew that I wanted to travel. Since I was going to travel, I’d need languages. What better use for languages than to be an interpreter?

I’m not sure where I picked up the travel bug. It may have been because my great-grandmother and grandmother were postcard collectors. They had postcards of far away, exotic places that stimulated my imagination.

Or it may have started because my family owned an RV. In the summer, weekends were often spent going somewhere. I loved exploring different states and seeing the nuances in culture. I loved swimming in the stream where we just caught breakfast and having my first crush on the trip when I saw the ocean for the first time. There was something always magical about travel that still lives in me today.

What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.

I completely stumbled into sacred travel. I owned a residential tree service, and we were experiencing a highly active hurricane season. It was nonstop work, and I needed a break. I wanted to go somewhere, anywhere, that was quick and easy to get to. So, I booked a trip to Egypt without knowing a soul there or doing any research.

I was not prepared for the wonder that was Egypt. Every day eclipsed the one before it. It was so intense. Everywhere I went was full of life- the death defying taxi rides, the lively music, the call to prayer breaking the morning stillness, and the poverty. The people were so open-hearted. Life was on full display with no apologies.

Then there was also this incredible energy. I could feel the ancient feminine underneath the modern masculine, and it drew so much out of me. It made me feel my feelings. It blessed me with so much love. I felt grateful and alive every single minute, and I knew I wanted to share that. It was much too juicy to keep to myself, so I started a spiritual tour company.

None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?

My parents have always been my greatest teachers. My mother is very nurturing, accepting, and understanding. She’s a cool breeze. My father challenges me, but he also let me know I could do anything and be anything. His belief in me helped me to believe in myself.

It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or takeaway did you learn from that?

I once allowed a person that I knew to join a tour at the last minute. She was very disorganized and didn’t have the money to actually go until we were getting on the plane. I definitely should have said no, but we were acquainted and she was friends with some of the other people who were going, so I thought it would work.

That was a disaster. She kept the tour waiting a few times. She wandered off, and we spent hours trying to find her. She rifled through her roommate’s belongings. By the end of the tour, everyone was just done with her because of her lack of self-awareness and other awareness.

It used to be that I would always have one difficult person on a tour with me. I would just expect it. Everyone can’t be sunshine and roses, right? I learned that healthy boundaries and high expectations pay dividends! Since that guest, I changed my contract to help to weed out people who aren’t ready for intimate group travel, and I haven’t had anyone like that on a retreat or tour ever since.

The universe will even test you to make sure you got the message, and this very same situation arose years later. A person wanted to join last minute who didn’t have the money, but was friends with someone else in the group. I said no. The peace of mind of the group was just too important to risk it.

Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ― Anais Nin

We’re always moving from empty to full, happy to sad, beginning to end. That’s the nature of life. Nothing gold can stay, so we have to keep going, find new mountains to climb, and cleaning up our messes.

This quote reminds me that starting is often hard. Who wants to do that when you can remain comfortable in your routine? But if I’m going to grow, sometimes I have to kick myself in the keister and risk blossoming. As I get older, the desire for comfort is so attractive, but I don’t want to get creaky and stiff because I didn’t blossom.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

Covid was a game changer for travel. I shifted from international tours to domestic retreats during that time. Things got cozier and more intimate, and the retreats developed a different vibe. I love the personal discovery and inner work that we did, and am moving more in the direction of facilitating a connection with the self, others, the land, as well as Spirit.

We all yearn for deep, meaningful connection. That is the pathway to.a meaningful life, and I think this helps people by giving them a chance to experience belonging. There are so many people who have never had that.

Another benefit is time to see themselves. So many of us get lost in our work, relationship, or pursuing our dreams. When we arrive, we are a stranger to ourselves. So, this is a chance to reconnect to that.

And finally, lots of us have never felt the big connection with nature or Spirit. I can’t promise that will happen for anybody, but I do my best to lead everyone to the opportunity.

OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview about travel and personal growth. Let’s dive deeper into these together. Based on your research or personal experience, why do you think travel can lead to personal growth? Can you share a story?

I cannot think of a time when that hasn’t been the case for me. It’s really why I fell in love with it.

My first trip to Egypt was absolutely amazing. I couldn’t stop talking about it, but when it came time for the second one, I wasn’t feeling it. I was very involved with my life. I wasn’t enthusiastic about the trip, and it felt like work.

Well, don’t you know Egypt worked her magic again! Every single time I’ve been there, she’s never failed to give me what I need, regardless of whether it was what I wanted.

I went into the trip with resistance. That amplified until I could see that I was the one creating the resistance, not just to the trip, but throughout my life. By the time the trip ended, I was laughing and carefree again and was able to make the changes that I was resisting back home.

Each trip does some version of that. I believe sacred travel accelerates my growth tremendously and helps me to see into blind spots that I might never otherwise uncover.

A recent survey from Psychology Today showed that over 80% of participants found that travel helped them with problem-solving or decision-making. Why do you think this is true for so many people?

I think that getting away from routines stimulates creativity and opens up possibilities. The first time I did a spiritual tour, all the new smells, sounds, and images were so stimulating. I was overflowing with poetry and music. Routines are good for grounding, safety, and predictability, but those things can also lead to being stuck. When we wipe away all that is known and go some place new, it’s like falling in love with life all over again. We dare and dream. So many delicious things can come from that place!

Do you think travel enhances our mindfulness, optimism, or sense of gratitude? How? Can you please explain with an example or story?

Yes! That’s exactly the space I am in when I am standing in a stone circle that is thousands of years old. I am totally present with the stones, grass, and sky. I am feeling my smallness in the space and time, and I am bursting with gratitude that I could even be here to experience this. If I am with others, I am grateful that there is someone to share this with because it’s so awesome that nobody who wasn’t here would ever believe it.

So, yes. Travel does that for me every time. I think it’s why I love it. I feel most alive when traveling.

Surely not everyone who travels automatically becomes an exemplar of human decency. What are a few reasons why some people completely miss out on the growth opportunities that travel can offer?

I have this saying. “You take you with you.” If you’re creepy, depressed, pessimistic, or rude and committed to being so, you’re going to be that way wherever you go. It’s like leading a horse to water. Travel only presents the opportunity for growth. It’s up to the traveler to take it.

Another common experience is expecting things to be the way they are at home. Every time something novel happened on one tour, a traveler would tell our guide, “In America…..” So, it might be, “In America we drive in straight lines and only go when the light is green.” Or “In America, we eat dinner a lot earlier.” After she had done this a few times, the guide looked at her and kindly said, “This is not your America.” She took the hint and enjoyed the experience she was having.

If you’re traveling to get snapshots for your highlight reel, you could miss out on growth opportunities, too. When we went to Machu Picchu, the mountaintop was slammed with people taking selfies. Once they got their pictures, they moved on to the next photo op and totally missed out on the magic of the mountain. No judgment. It just seems a shame to physically be some place without ever mentally being there.

Thank you for that. Now for our main question; What are your “5 Habits You Should Develop In Order Make Travel Into An Opportunity For Personal Growth?”

1. Adopt an “If You Pack It, You Carry It” attitude. My contract says that each traveler may be responsible for their own luggage if we are in a place without porters. This means we could have to navigate stairs, cobblestones, etc. I go to sacred destinations. These aren’t places with wide, paved streets. They are off the beaten track. Well, one person did a lot of shopping and loaded up her suitcase until she had to buy another one. She struggled with them for the rest of the tour. Could I have helped her? Yes, but her lesson was that she takes on way more than she needs. Do you think she learned that lesson on that trip? You bet.

“Stuff” weighs us down. If you don’t let stuff go and take on too much, you are not going to have a good time in life or while traveling. Be mindful of what you are carrying.

2. Prioritize. Travel presents so many opportunities. There aren’t enough hours in the day or enough money to do them all. Knowing what is meaningful to you can be the difference between a packed, mediocre trip and space to savor what warms your heart.

On my first trip to Egypt, I only had five days. I could have done a three day Nile cruise and seen a lot more, but I wanted to get to know the city, the people, and the culture, so I stayed in Cairo the entire time. I do not regret that because I wanted a high touch, deep experience and I could never have gotten that in a day or so.

3. “Seize The Day.” I love Horace’s quote because so many beautiful things happened on spiritual tours because I had the courage to say yes. Do you want to ride an elephant? Yes! Do you want to climb a waterfall? Yes! Do you want to swim in a cave? Absolutely! Saying yes is a way to show ourselves what we’re made of. It boosts confidence that we can use later to deal with more mundane things. It’s like, “If I can ride in a hot-air balloon, speaking to a classroom is nothing.”

4. Do Your Research. Traveling is not all fun, spontaneous stuff. If you do your research ahead of time, you can avoid headaches, long delays, and getting stuck in unpleasant situations. Life has three phases: crisis, growth, and maintenance. You can’t grow if you’re dealing with crises.

For example, one of our travelers on a trip to England was delayed by an airline strike, so he didn’t arrive until two days after everyone else. He thought he would stay in Edinburgh a day and then join us, but he didn’t do his research. The only way to reach us was by bus and the bus only ran twice a week, so if he was going to join us at all, he had to leave the day he landed. Fortunately for him, I did the research and let him know. He joined us and all was well.

5. Tune In. When we’re at home and in our routine, we often tune out stuff we consider noise to get our work done and get through the day. Most of us are really good at tuning out. If you want to grow from travel, you have to tune in. That means turning off your phone and being present. If you don’t, you may return home with pretty pictures, but not a lot else.

For example, some of the best moments in spiritual travel are in small, quiet moments. Once, we went into this tiny historical house and I stood next to the window and felt this deep sorrow. I moved one step over and it was gone. I stepped back towards the window and felt it again. I called someone else over to see if it was just me. Nope, she felt it, too. The funny thing is that we got a picture, and you can see the outline of some sort of apparition there! Lots of other people were in that room who didn’t notice. I am sure I could have walked right by it too had I not been tuning in.

From your experience, does travel have a negative impact on personal growth too? Is there a downside to travel?

For sure. It can. Spiritual travel gives me a high. For a minute, I found myself chasing that high and going for peak experiences rather than being more holistic. Anything can be used as an escape if done to excess or with the wrong intention. Fortunately, I was able to pivot and make some changes to bring it back into alignment with my values and desires. It’s far more balanced now.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)

Ramy Romani of Ancient Aliens. I’ve been to Egypt many times, but I think he has some spectacular insider intel about ancient Egypt that I would love to hear about.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

My travel website is at https://lauragiles.me

Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. We wish you continued success.

About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.