Travel is more than movement across miles—it can be a soulful journey that awakens creativity, deepens community, and reshapes how you see yourself and the world.
Beyond Sightseeing: How Travel and Spirituality Connect for Me
What do you hope to bring home from your travels—souvenirs, snapshots, or something far deeper?
For me, travel has always been about more than sightseeing. My first trip abroad as a high school exchange student in Germany opened my eyes to new perspectives and friendships. It gave me new ways of seeing myself. Over the years, I’ve continued to travel—sometimes on my own, sometimes leading groups—and each journey has reminded me how stepping into a new landscape can shift the way I see the world.
I confess—I plan whirlwind itineraries that squeeze a city dry in a single day. In Florence, I’ve planned days that began in the Uffizi, climbing the Duomo, wandering the streets, admiring the David, shopping the market, and ending at the Ponte Vecchio. A colorful, exhausting blur. But even with all that beauty, this pace leaves little room for stillness or presence. It robs me of the soulful travel experiences that linger long after I’ve moved on.
Craving Something Deeper from My Journeys
Eventually I began to notice the limitations of this style of travel. Researching and planning an itinerary, the joy of discovery, the satisfaction of finally seeing the thing—as fulfilling as all that is—often leaves me standing in front of monuments, camera in hand, without space for something more.
I began to wonder: what if the experience of travel and spirituality could go deeper? What if, instead of simply visiting a sacred site, I could encounter it as a seeker? Connected to pilgrims and visionaries who stood there before me. Guided so nothing stood between me and the essence of the place. That, I discovered, was something entirely different, and profoundly transformative.
Discovering the Power of Spiritual Journey Travel
That longing is what led me to Spirit Tours. My spiritual community, The Center of Peace, introduced me to the idea of traveling not just to see the world, but to experience it as a spiritual journey. These weren’t vacations where spirituality was an afterthought. They were spiritual journeys—intentional and carefully designed. Every step, every site, every shared moment carried the possibility of transformation.
When our community began exploring the idea of a trip to Egypt, I knew right away this was the lens through which I wanted to see that ancient land. Egypt had always been a destination on my list. But to go with a group of like-minded seekers, with an itinerary that opened space for reflection and depth, promised something different. Private moments inside the Great Pyramid, sunrise prayers at the Temple of Isis, sailing down the Nile on a Dahabiya with room for stillness. These weren’t logistical perks. They were invitations to step into the living energy of sacred places with a beginner’s mind – curious, open to magic and mystery. They worked on me in ways I couldn’t have planned on my own.
Awakening Creativity Along the Nile
Creativity has always been my muse, a steady companion urging me to give shape to what I feel and see. That much was no surprise. What surprised me was how urgently she called to me on this journey—the clarity of her voice, the specificity of the images, and the sheer speed of her flow. Sailing slowly down the Nile felt like drifting inside a current of inspiration itself. Each time we returned from a temple or sacred site, the river whispered through me. Impressions turned into words, words into poetry, and poetry into song. I felt prolific, alive, carried by something larger than myself. This soul journey offered me a lyrical tide that insisted these sacred moments be remembered and shared.
Travel and Spirituality Intertwined in Community
But the journey wasn’t only about what was awakened in me. Travel and spirituality intertwined also revealed their power in the way they drew our group together, weaving us into a closer family. One afternoon on our Dahabiya boat, we gathered in a circle to reflect on what we each carried that was ready to be released into the healing waters of the Nile. As I listened to the honesty of others, I felt an overwhelming outpouring of love and connection that gave me the courage to share my own confession. Many of us had known each other for years as friends and community members. Yet the depth of love that blossomed in that moment was unexpected. It changed us forever, binding us not just as traveling companions, but as soul companions.
Another memory lingers from our time at the Temple of Isis. We had been granted private entry at dawn, the temple cloaked in silence and shadow. Together we meditated in the darkness, reflecting on her timeless call to us as mothers, healers, queens of our own lives. When we stepped into the morning light, the first rays of sun wrapped us in warmth. I felt our group’s presence differently. It was as if we had been bound by something beyond friendship: a shared experience of the sacred that would stay with us long after we left the temple.
A Climactic Encounter with the Goddess Sekhmet
And then there was the morning at Karnak, when a narrow beam of sunlight pierced the darkness to perfectly illuminate the great basalt statue of Sekhmet. Eighteen of us gathered in stillness, bearing witness as each person stepped forward for a moment of private communion with the lion-headed goddess. In that hush, time seemed to collapse. What message would this fierce protector call forth within each soul? What part of our own divinity would be recognized in her gaze? Watching friend after friend stand in her light, I felt the sacredness of both the personal encounter and the shared witnessing. It was a reminder that spiritual journeys are as much about seeing ourselves as they are about seeing the world.
Carried by the Current of Soulful Travel Experiences
That, I realized, is the essence of travel and spirituality: it carries you. Just as the Nile bore us from one sacred site to another, the journey itself becomes a living current that moves through you, awakening what most needs to rise. For me, it was creativity. For others, it might be a sense of peace long sought, a clarity about life’s direction, or the joy of authentic connection. Whatever form it takes, the gift is the same—the journey doesn’t end when you return home. Its current continues to flow within you, reshaping how you see, how you live, and how you love.
An Invitation to Seekers of Transformation
Most trips leave you with photographs, souvenirs, and fond memories. A sacred journey leaves you with something far more enduring: an inner shift that keeps unfolding long after you’ve unpacked your bags. It’s the difference between observing the Nile from the riverbank and letting yourself be carried by its current.
When you choose spiritual journey travel, you choose to step into that current. You choose an experience that is intentional, transformative, and deeply personal, crafted to open space for your own awakening. Whether it calls forth your creativity, renews your sense of purpose, or simply fills you with peace, the current will carry you exactly where you need to go.
So the question becomes: on your next journey, do you want to collect more sights, or allow yourself to be carried into something far more profound?
About the Author
Donnamarie Mazzola is a longtime member of The Center of Peace in Philadelphia who joined her first Spirit Tours journey in November 2024. Inspired by the transformative experiences she encountered along the way, Donnamarie wove her reflections into original music that captures the essence of sacred travel.
A lifelong storyteller and creator, she brings her journeys to life through lyrical narratives and visual expression, inviting others to experience the wonder of travel and New Thought spirituality. You can listen to her songs about her sacred journey to Egypt here: Journey Playlist on YouTube
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