Mindfulness is a crucial element of traveling with intention. Image credit: Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts
Hospitality group Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts is inspiring travel lovers to get excited about reconnecting with the world, loved ones and themselves.
“Reconnect With The World” is a three-part video series and audio podcast series featuring conversations with people about life-changing trips, reminding the world of the importance and power of connections through travel. The newly released second episode follows professional adventurer and entrepreneur Georgina Miranda through Costa Rica.
Reconnecting with the world
In the short vignette, Ms. Miranda experiences Costa Rica and the Four Seasons Resort at Peninsula Papagayo with creative director and world traveler Patrick Janelle.
They are shown hiking through lush forests, swimming near waterfalls, practicing yoga on the beach at sunset, meditating, boating and enjoying drinks and food by the ocean.
“I no longer want to see the world,” she says in the video. “I want to feel the world.”
Ms. Miranda has scaled Mount Everest twice and is on the verge of becoming one of 15 women who have completed the Explorers Grand Slam mega-challenge. For her, traveling with intention and finding balance are of the utmost importance.
An energy practitioner and yogi, Ms. Miranda's ability to tap into her senses and use them to keep her attention on the present moment is a large part of her mindfulness practice.
The second episode of “Reconnect with the World” follows professional adventurer Georgina Miranda through Costa Rica
Tapping into the energy of a destination is something many travelers aim for, even if mindfulness is not something one typically practices.
“I think one thing [you can do] is to just be fully present,” says Ms. Miranda in the 30-minute podcast episode. “If you’re traveling long distances, you get to a place and you might be so caught up in the excitement of the list of things you want to go see and do that you don’t give yourself the opportunity to actually just arrive and really be there.”
She suggests giving oneself 20 to 30 minutes upon arrival to be present in the moment, and to simply observe one’s surroundings.
In the podcast, Ms. Miranda cautions travelers not to get too caught up in ticking boxes and checking off items on to-do lists, no matter the purpose for a trip.
“I think every experience can be abundant,” she says. “And somehow, you’re limiting that abundance with a list.”
She explains her own feeling of disappointment that comes with not being able to do every single thing she had planned for a trip, but how following, or not completing, a strict itinerary can distract from the beautiful things she did do and the people she connected with along the way.
In its first installment, “Reconnect With The World: Free Your Creativity,” New York-based photographer and creative director Dave Krugman joins author and app-founder Poppy Jamie to experience the Japanese city of Kyoto.
The Four Seasons Kyoto is rich with history and culture in itself, set around the revered 800-year-old Shakusui-en pond garden. Everything presented at the property is thoughtfully crafted and meaningfully offered (see story).
Season for travel
As the global pandemic made traveling nearly impossible for months on end, people began missing and even moreso craving adventure and exploration.
In the interest of exploring the shift from wanderlust to “wandermust,” Four Seasons polled its 1.1 million Instagram followers to discover common travel goals, most desired destinations and bucket list experiences.
Two-thirds of respondents reported looking to explore a new destination on their next trip. Eighty percent also indicated that they are planning a trip because they love to travel and were forced to go without it for a year.
The remaining 20 percent said their next trip would be to commemorate something special (see story).
Through various advertising efforts, Four Seasons has further encouraged consumers to find more meaning in their excursions.
Last month, the hospitality group introduced new drivable adventures across Europe as restrictions lifted and leisure travel makes a resurgence.
Six road trips were added to the “Scenic Route with Four Seasons” program, connecting 13 European properties through curated joy drives. Each experience highlights unique destinations, including castles, wineries, lakes, restaurants and more (see story).