Category Archives: Travel with Purpose

Lollipop Moments

How to Pack Lollipop Moments Into Travel

A Change Creator podcast with Drew Dudley caught my attention. He was talking about Lollipop Moments.

According to Drew a lollipop moment is a point in time when connecting with someone has mattered, does matter or will matter. More importantly, he believes in the power of engaging, acknowledging and appreciating those moments.

Lollipop Moments

Curious about what else Drew had to say, I searched for him on YouTube. And there he was. Talking more about Lollipop Moments.

In “Recognizing the Power of Lollipop Moments,” Drew talks about how many people rely on leadership to change the world. Drew believes there is no world but rather there are 7 billion understandings of it. He suggests change comes when a person’s understanding of the world changes. A change brought about by Lollipop Moments. Moments when an individual realizes others care; moments when an individual’s capabilities are recognized; moments when an individual’s power to be an agent of change in the world or in their own life are celebrated.

Some Sweet Examples

Eureka! Global illustrations of Drew’s ‘simple but not small idea’ began dancing in my head. A fortunate traveler, my sojourns have taken me to many parts of the world. Along the way, I have met many incredible women and girls.

Catalina. One of my earliest encounters involved Catalina, a World Vision sponsor child. She and I met years ago while I was in Guatemala. She was about 8 years old at the time. Excited to demonstrate our family’s affection for Catalina, I brought several presents to share with her. Grateful, she smiled and shyly uttered “Gracias.” She then leaned over and said something in her mother’s ear. As her volume was beyond a whisper, I asked the translator to share what Catalina said.

“She was hoping her madrina (godmother) would bring a bike.”

Ouch! A disappointed child and someone who had the power to change that! Looking back, I realize this was a Lollipop Moment. An opportunity for me to let Catalina know her wishes mattered. An opportunity for me to make a dream come true. The potential to change someone’s world. The potential for that change to create yet to be discovered ripples of change.

Epifania.  More recently I met a young woman in Peru.  She was attending a leadership training event to which I had been invited.  Throughout the morning, I found myself captivated by her radiant smile.  During one of the breaks, I approached her and complimented that beautiful smile. 

A couple of years later, I had the opportunity to meet Epifania again. At that time, she told me my compliment provided her the motivation she needed.  

“You gave me the certainty when you told me something nice and you also smiled with me.”

She went on to say, “I had a little problem inside. That day I wanted to cry.  But you gave me security and I could smile more and forget the problem.”

That exchange was over six years ago.  Thanks to social media, Epifania and I remain in touch.  We share a Lollipop Moment, one created and one appreciated

Travel + Sisterhood + Lollipop Moments = Power for Change

Several years have passed since the inauguration of Ripple Effect Journeys. The principle of “Leading with Lollipop Moments” adds greater depth to this travel vision.

The world offers so many amazing destinations.  New discoveries await us at each stop.  Historical perspectives along with contemporary insights provide texture to what our eyes can see. Art, culture, architecture, and food illustrate what’s valued in the places we visit. And of course, the people we meet enrich our experiences.  (More about this later.)

Good travel does not occur in isolation. Solo travel has become increasingly popular. But most solo travelers will tell you they are not alone. Along the way paths cross and connections are made.

The opposite of solo travel is group travel. In my experience, a group has the potential to become a community. And when this happens, when you move from group travel to community travel, magic happens! A community has something (or in some cases a multitude of things) in common.

Sisterhoods are powerful communities.   So much so they deserve their own blog post! (Or, more accurately their own Ripple Effect Journeys blog post.)  Sisterhoods bring the following words to mind.

Fun! Support. Feedback. Accountability. Fun!

Fun! Inspiration. Motivation. Transformation! Fun!

Imagine when a sisterhood of travelers meets a sisterhood of women or girls striving to improve their lives. The possibilities for learning, understanding, and empowerment are endless!

Traveling Lollipop Moments change lives. Spontaneous interactions with local people are memorable. Waiting for these to happen, leaves something to chance. Intentional authentic exchanges are possible. But, facilitating these is challenging.

Enter the concept of traveling with impact. What if intentional authentic exchanges were facilitated between female travelers and women / girls associated with non-profit organizations focused on empowerment? And what if Lollipop Moments were involved? Moments when an individual realizes others care.  Moments when an individual’s capabilities are recognized.  Moments when an individual’s power to be an agent of change in the world or in their own life are celebrated.

A power for change!

‘A Simple But Not A Small One’

Drew Dudley’s recent “Recognizing the Power of Lollipop Moments” recognizes Lollipop Moments are a simple idea. But they are not small ones. 

So true.

It’s not small when our actions embrace, encourage, and empower others. Travel, like Ripple Effect Journeys – Vietnam, provides a platform to do so. Join a community of women and become a powerful source for change.

#shetravelswithimpact

Are you a woman who wants to travel beyond the sights? Do you agree with John Kerry when he said, “Traveling enables us to see the world through the eyes of someone else, and to understand their aspirations and assumptions”? Does the phrase #shetravelswithimpact resonate with you?

A #shetravelswithimpact memory…

A #shetravelswithimpact memory

A while ago, I had an hour or so between Ripple Effect Journeys – Women Traveling With Impact Peru activities. After taking care of some business, I bought an empanada to go. Many people were out and about, enjoying Sunday morning with family. The sunny day inspired me to find a park bench where I could enjoy my early lunch.

Comfortably settled in Cusco’s San Francisco Plaza, a young woman approached me shortly after I began to eat. She cordially greeted me before showing me a carved gourd she hoped to sell. I politely said I was not interested in making a purchase.

She joked saying “no buying, only eating” and joined me on the park bench. Blending Spanish and English, a conversation began. I learned she studied English for three months in a program for street vendors. She told me she lived in Chinchero, a town recently visited by women traveling with Ripple Effect Journeys.

She was curious where I was from. Did I like Cusco? How long was I staying? She was very familiar with the Chinchero weaving cooperative I mentioned. In fact, she attended classes there as a child.

Seeing The World Through The Eyes of Someone Else

The mother of an 11, 9 and 7 year old, she was expecting her 4th child in 7 months. Her children had recently returned to school after an extended break. They needed shoes, school supplies and other items. Tourist visits to Chinchero were infrequent this time of year. So, she came to Cusco in hope of selling her handicrafts so her children could continue to attend school.

“No buying, only eating” no longer seemed an option. After looking at her wares, I selected an item to purchase. That item and the selfie we took documents the moment we shared.

Seven hours later, as I left a restaurant with the group, I heard someone say “Beatriz.” What a surprise to run into my new acquaintance! Several of my fellow group members took a moment to look at the items this young woman was selling.

One woman found an item she wished to buy. As the purchase was finalized, my new acquaintance was delighted. She now had two sales!

Wow! Two sales after a day’s worth of work! I remember wishing her day would have been more profitable. I also found myself hoping our moments together acknowledged her hard work and provided encouragement for the future.

Why Women Travel

According to a Booking.com survey, 65% of women embark on a vacation without their partners.

Why do they do so? Here are 10 reasons why women travel.

10 Reasons Why Women Travel

A #shetravelswithimpact community

For some, though, there are deeper reasons to travel, as John Kerry’s words suggest. These women seek experiences enabling them “to see the world through the eyes of someone else, and to understand their aspirations and assumptions:” They want to understand the joys and challenges of women who live in the places they visit. They’re curious about how the lives of local girls and women can be improved. When #shetravelswithimpact she wants to be a partner for change.

Women in a #shetravelswithimpact community enjoy spending time with other globally minded women. They value a sense of community. A sense of fun, discovery and purpose defines the group. They are curious learners and engaged culture seekers.

A #shetravelswithimpact community

Does this describe you? Do you want to look in a mirror and hear someone say #shetravelswithimpact?

If so, welcome to the #shetravelswithimpact community! Please introduce yourself by posting a comment! I look forward to exploring the world of meaningful travel with you!

Building a Meaningful Travel Community for Women

Collecting travel thoughts for Ripple Effect Journeys in a notebook for reflection.

“Hold on. I want to grab my phone and get a picture.” Sound familiar? According to Forbes 85% of the 1.2 trillion digital photos taken annually are done with smartphones. That’s not to mention the number of 4×6 paper photos stored in shoe boxes or photo albums for those of us who began taking pictures with film. Google shows 176,000,000 sites offer advice on how to organize your pictures.

It’s not just pictures needing organization these days. The Internet offers a treasure trove of recipes, DIY projects, quotes, news articles…the list goes on. In 2010, Pinterest stepped in to help. By Fall 2018, 250 million people used Pinterest monthly. Together they pinned 175 billion items on 3 billion virtual boards.

Collecting Meaningful Travel Ideas, Dreaming of Women Traveling with Impact

I’m a digital information collector. Specifically, I collect information about causes related to women and girls, women’s empowerment, girl’s education, and grass-root organizations facilitating change. I also collect information about women’s travel, meaningful travel, travel that serves. Why?

Because I dream about bringing together small groups of women who want to travel differently. The women I’m thinking about are curious about the world. They are interested in the lives of women and girls. The travelers I envision want to make personal connections. They want to get to know their global sisters. And then? They want to act!

The goal? To empower women and girls to succeed. I dream about a community of women whose travels inspire them to become storytellers. The stories they share help others understand why a village well increases the likelihood of a girl being able to go to school. They illustrate how education has the power to break the cycle of poverty. Their stories connect the listener to people the storyteller has met through amazing organizations like Peruvian Hearts or Room to Read – Vietnam.

Creating a Community of Women Around a New Kind of Travel

This week I read Melinda Gates’ interview with Abby Wambach. Abby advises to “build…a community…based on our unique and powerful voices, talents, dreams, curiosities, and courage,” Her words inspire me to move beyond my digital storage files and into a conversation with other women about important and thought-provoking topics connected to travel, girls’ education and women’s empowerment.

The folders in my digital file cabinet are overflowing! I’m passionate about material related to #girlseducation, #empoweringgirls, #women’sempowerment, #women’srights, #fairtrade, #socialentrepreunership, #makeadifference, and #NGO.

#meaningfultravel, #women’stravel, #bucketlisttravel, #womenwhoexplore, and #travelingladies describe travelers I’d like to know.

And, let’s not forget destinations like #Peru, #Vietnam, #Cambodia, #Ethiopia, to name just a few.

Ripple Effect Journeys embodies these passions and inspires a new kind of travel. Travel designed for women passionate about discovering the world while supporting initiatives improving the lives of women and girls in the places they visit through listening and collaboration.

Please contribute your voice, curiosities, and dreams to build a community where #shetravelswithimpact. You can do so by:
• Commenting on this post
• Suggesting a discussion topic
• Joining the Women’s Impact Exchange Facebook group
• Liking the Ripple Effect Journeys Facebook page
• Traveling with Ripple Effect Journeys.

3 Aha Moments Define Travel that Serves

My mother often remarked that good things come in threes. That certainly seems to be the case when it comes to how I’ve interconnected three aha moments with how I envision travel that serves.

Aha Moment #1

It began with watching Lume Mufleh’s powerful TED Talk “Don’t feel sorry for refugees-Believe in them.” Lume’s grandmother, who fled Syria for Jordan as a young mother, was determined to help her grandchildren understand their family’s history. When Lume was 8 years old, her grandmother took her to visit a refugee camp, similar to the one Grandmother had lived in with her small children. Upon arrival, Grandmother told Lume to go play with the children. Lume shares how she did not want to play with children who seemed so different from her. But Grandmother insisted. Later, while leaving the camp, Lume told Grandmother how much fun she had playing with the kids. “Those poor kids,” said Lume. Grandmother’s response is one that continues to impact Lume’s actions today. “Don’t feel sorry for them – believe in them.”

photo credit: Tijen Erol <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/37212053@N07/4742667508">Children of Palestine</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license)</a>

Aha Moment #2

Believing in someone is at the heart of a relationship I embarked upon about a year ago. At that time, a coalition of leaders came together with the goal of a poverty-free life for everyone in the community where I live. Designed to empower people in poverty with skills, resources and personal connections, a mentorship program was one of the strategies suggested to work toward this goal. Interested in giving back, I volunteered to serve as a mentor.

Connecting through mentoring

Two months ago, I met my neighbor, the person I would mentor, for the first time. A single mother of 2 girls (ages 10 years and 3 months at the time), my neighbor is in her mid-thirties. She works full time as a caregiver and human resources assistant in an assisted living center located about 15 miles from home. Despite full time employment, she lives from paycheck to paycheck with no reserves for unexpected expenses.

The connection with my neighbor is teaching me so much.

When we met for the first time, my neighbor was upbeat about so many things. She loved her job, feeling valued and challenged.  She owned a car, enabling her to work at the assisted living center as local public transportation was not available. A strong network of friends helped care for her kids. Her spiritual life was strong and provided a source of strength when things became uncertain. An outgoing individual, our conversation continued for more than an hour. I found myself wondering why someone felt she needed a mentor.

We met a week later, as planned. Things were no longer going so well. My neighbor felt the initiative she demonstrated at work was not being appreciated by her boss.  Childcare was getting harder to arrange. Fall-out with a longtime friend struck a blow to her self-esteem. The refrigerator was nearly empty and diapers were running short. Within a week’s time, her world had become chaotic.

My neighbor has shared a variety of ups and downs with me since our first meeting. Because of her, poverty is no longer an abstract term to me. Rather, it’s something that impacts someone I’ve come to care about. Witnessing my neighbor’s approach to life, I often find myself in awe.

Here are a few of my takeaways.

The importance of being seen in a positive light

My neighbor was invited to participate in this program. Local social service representatives, familiar with her over time, felt she could benefit from a mentor’s support. The difference in tone between our first and second meeting reminds me that people want to be thought of in a positive light despite the challenges they face.

Being seen in a positive light

The importance of listening

A story unfolds over time. This is especially true when someone is sharing their life story. As a mentor, I’ve realized the importance of listening to someone without feeling the need to fix the problems they face.  My role is to build a trusting relationship that supports someone taking charge of their own life.

The importance of listening

Resilience and the importance of believing in someone

My neighbor has repeatedly shown me her resiliency. I am in awe of her ability to bounce back from both emotional and financial challenges. She strives to improve her life despite frequent setbacks. She is not asking me to solve her problems. Rather, she expresses gratitude in my belief in her ability to live her life.

The importance of believing in someone

Aha Moment #3

I recently came across a quote by Karen Blixen that connected things for me.

“We must leave our mark on life while we have it in our power.”

For several years, I’ve been exploring how to combine the wonder of travel with the desire to serve people in need. I envisioned a trip that serves rather than a service trip. But what did that exactly mean and why should people be interested in opportunity such as this?

Travel that serves

Connecting My Three Aha Moments Provides the Answer

I believe that many of us desire to follow Karen Blixen’s direction and “leave our mark on life.” Most of us are already doing so within our families, social groups and communities. But what could we do if we thought outside of communities familiar or close to us? How could those of us who explore life through travel integrate the desire to leave our mark?

Mission or service trips have long offered travelers a way of doing so. But the focus for my vision has been different. Lume Mufleh’s grandmother has given me the words to articulate the mission of travel that serves. “Don’t feel sorry for them. Believe in them!” Our hearts break when we see people living on the edge. This is especially true when we travel beyond our own country. We want to help. How can we solve the problems that are in front of us? There must be something we can do to improve the lives of those we see.

connecting 3 aha moments with travel that serves

There is! Lessons learned in my aha moments provide a starting place.

  • Remember the importance of an individual’s dignity. Travel that serves means taking direction not giving direction. Challenges are shared only after trust is established.
  • Listening serves as a building block for trust. Travel that serves means listening to an individual define their challenges. Once challenges are defined, solutions can be explored.
  • Travel that serves means aligning with someone as they examine their challenges. It is discussing possible solutions rather than providing the answers. Travel that serves believes in people, it doesn’t feel sorry for them.

Travel that serves – what an incredible way to leave your mark on life!

Leave your mark on the world

Travel with Purpose: 13 Quotes to Inspire You

To travel with purpose is to travel deeply.  It stems from a desire to combine the exploration of new places with the hope of making a difference.  The journey to discover how to do so adds depth and dimension to the destination.

The following 13 quotes give voice to the impact possible when travel with purpose is your goal.

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. Henry Miller

Explore the world with an open mind, a sturdy carry-on, and clothes that don’t wrinkle. Madeleine Albright

Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey. Patrick Conroy

It circulates your brain. Yoko Ono

It’s not enough to read about the world; the most important education comes from first hand experiences. Richard Bronson

Traveling enables us to see the world through the eyes of someone else, and to understand their aspirations and assumptions. John Kerry

Travel is more than seeing the sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent in the ideas of living. Miriam Beard

What fills the eyes, fills the heart. Irish Proverb

Traveling-it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller. Ibn Battuta

Travel literally forces us out of our routines and, in doing so, gives us the freedom to see things with fresh eyes. Annabelle Selldorf

I travel around the world in a way that tries to open my mind and give me empathy and inspire me to come home and make this world a better place. Rick Steves

Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving. Terry Pratchett

The real work of an expedition begins when you return. Louise Arner Boyd