I believe that most of us would agree that the reason we stay in student affairs is not an amazing benefits package, incredible work space, or opulent accommodations, but rather the rewarding experience of interacting with individuals whose lives enrich our own. The profession as a whole is built on the tenets of appreciation for difference and the diversity of human experience, and it is this set of values that makes our chosen careers so special.

But at the end of the day, when our passion becomes our job, we can often lose our sense of fulfillment and joy. So how do we keep it going? I believe I discovered part of the answer during our winter break two years ago, after a particularly tough fall semester. I was tired and disenchanted with the role of “life changer” in which I had cast myself, and so I was looking forward to hopping on a plane and spending three days sipping wine and eating croissants in Paris with a friend. But 24 hours later, as I sat nestled in a wicker cafe chair warming my hands over a cappuccino and gazing up at the gargoyles of Notre Dame Cathedral perched high above me, I found myself thinking about my job. As I watched the passersby go about their business, I thought of the residents in my hall that call Europe home, and how growing up in a place like this could impact how they did life as a college student in America. It is that train of thought that has urged me to book flights to South America and road trips to Canada, met with me in English tea shops and by Irish cliffs, and continues to grow my To-Do list of travel. Egypt, Sierra Leone, Iceland, New Zealand, Germany – my list just keeps growing. And while there are a million reasons to travel, many of which have nothing to do with my job, I find that the richest reward comes from returning with a greater appreciation of the diverse life experiences of those I interact with every day. Marcel Proust said it best,

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

So if you are able, I recommend taking your next term break or vacation time to go somewhere you have never been before. Maybe that is Paris, or maybe it is a city down the road that you have never explored. Go. Go where your students, residents, coworkers, and supervisors call home. If you approach travel as a gift to yourself, as an investment in your holistic development as a student affairs professional, the rewards will be everlasting.

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” {Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky}

> BONUS <

Podcast With Valerie Heruska on SA Professionals Role in Development Efforts