“Travel is truth,” said Luis Vargas, the first of 19 speakers at TEDxPDX earlier this month.

The sold out audience of 3,000 cheered wildly as he shared his idea worth spreading. Peppered with insight, emotion and plenty of humor, his talk set the stage for a full day of thoughtful, engaging and super smart performances by a range of people who are all doing valuable work in the world.

I’ve been a fan of TED talks for a few years. I was so excited to attend my first all day event here in Portland on April 14th. TED stands for Technology-Entertainment-Design. It has been around since 1984, a fun fact I was not aware of. Even the Pope recently got in on the TED action with a recent video!

The “x” after TED stands for independent, the little brother of “Big TED” as it is affectionately known. If one of these independently organized events happens to come to your town, I highly recommend grabbing a ticket. It will be a day unlike anything else you’ve ever experienced.

Travel Is Truth in the 21st Century

So yes, travel is truth, especially in an era when more people are taking to the skies, which haven’t been all that friendly lately.

#united anyone?

My son and I just returned from a week on the east coast. We were exposed to what amounts to little more than organized chaos at several airports. Delays, crowds, angry passengers and defiant crews are simply more signs of the massive shifts we are experiencing globally. These shifts are challenging us to adopt new systems and ways of thinking about what travel means in the 21st century.

The best any of us can do when faced with an unexpected change to the anticipated schedule is:

First, take a deep breath, and

Second, surrender to the moment.

Anything else will simply add fuel to the fire.

Travel Is Truth When Going through TSA Security

I needed to heed that advice on my recent trip when I made what could have been a costly mistake. After taking the tram to our departing terminal, I discovered I had left my iPhone in a bin at security. Panic set in and I became highly agitated. A large part of my life is on that phone, as it is for most people these days.

With less than 15 minutes before our flight was scheduled to begin boarding, my son and I raced back to security. I blatantly ignored the “Do Not Enter” sign at the top of the stairs, and asked — breathlessly — if anyone in TSA had found an iPhone 6 in a black SPECK case?

Of course, it seemed as if the TSA attendants were moving at a snail’s pace as my heart rate continued to rise. Thankfully, one of the guards found it and I was back in business.

As we rode the tram for the third time in 20 minutes, my son said, “Mom, you need to develop a routine for going through security.” (I thought I had, but clearly I need to work on this.)

He proceeded to show me the routine he developed after traveling through Europe last summer. I thought, Okay, points on the board for my super smart son. We can all take a lesson from my oversight! No matter what — always, always make sure you have your phone before exiting security.

Travel Is Truth in Conversations

TEDxPDX and seeing my son grow up before my eyes as we traveled through DC and New York were two big personal wins this month. The conversations I had on the PYP Podcast were, too.

Rob Dial, host of the MWF Motivation Podcast, shared his gripping story of overcoming a horrendous childhood to ultimately learn the skills he needed to build two 7 figure businesses — before the age of 30. Definitely worth a listen for the insights on how to overcome obstacles we face in life on the way to success.

Then I sat down with Dr. Phil Carson of Carson Naturals who sheds light on how we can live healthier lives without stacking up all those little brown prescription bottles Big Pharma is so fond of telling us we need. Definitely worth checking out.

What truths have emerged for you from trips or conversations you’ve recently experienced?

How are they helping you see things in your life just a little bit differently?

Share how travel is truth for you in the comments below. I always love hearing what’s happening in your world.