Why We Travel

We are creatures of pattern; travel gives us new eyes👇🏼

Tommy Obenchain
March 16, 2025

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Welcome

Friends,

Today is my family’s last Sunday living in Knoxville, TN: we move back to Texas next week. I share that largely as we are sad to leave but also excited, in the best way, to get going.

So much of travel is this way for me.

I love being where I am but I’m just as excited for what’s next. I mean this literally: I am seriously looking forward to our road trip in a few days. I love packing up our car, making fake ‘pilot announcements’ about our progress en route to my children, and just generally navigating to our next stop.

I love the unknown of a journey to somewhere new, both as a question of what the destination will hold and what fun we will have in getting there.

To be sure, there are unpleasant journeys and downright awful destinations. But if you are reading this email, I bet you are a little like me and you get my gist.

Travel is often seen as an escape—a more dignified version of the late Toby Keith’s (terrible) song ‘Stays in Mexico.’ And I get it. There’s a thrill in being somewhere unknown, where the world feels vast and you’re anonymous—if only for a moment.

But what I have come to find is whatever escape I think I am looking for in travel is really a need for renewal and reconnection with my creator. And in that place I am learning travel has everything to do with my patterned ordinary—my life and the real beauty that surrounds it is found in the generally unremarkable everyday.

Being out of the ordinary might be the greatest evidence for how special the ordinary really is. We are time travelers on a larger journey.

Life is a gift to receive. I am glad to share a little about mine with you, here.

Be well,

Tommy

P.S. I hope you have a wonderful, restful today.

Recap

This week’s writing:

The Best Points Deal to London?

(It is so good I started planning a trip while writing this email👇🏼)

www.tommyobenchain.com/p/the-best-points-deal-to-london

Goodbye Southwest Airlines?

Three points on the current dumpster fire👇🏼

www.tommyobenchain.com/p/goodbye-southwest-airlines

Epic Honeymoons

And why we should all take more than one👇🏼

www.tommyobenchain.com/p/epic-honeymoons

The Secret to Using Points

And why I talk so much about OneWorld Emerald Status👇🏼

www.tommyobenchain.com/p/the-secret-to-using-points

The Last Flight Out of Beijing

What I learned from a Northwest Station Manager👇🏼

www.tommyobenchain.com/p/the-last-flight-out-of-beijing

Wellington is Extraordinary

Three reasons to visit the capital of New Zealand👇🏼

www.tommyobenchain.com/p/wellington-is-extraordinary

Remember, this life you are living has meaning. Thank you for reading. I am grateful you are here and would love to hear from you. If you'd like to write me a note, simply reply to this email. Otherwise I'll see you in the next one.

Be well today. -Tommy

(This pic is supposed to be sideways, because it is fun to be a little different sometimes).

P.S. If I can ever help you plan your next travel adventure (slash help make your points go farther), I’d be delighted. You can schedule time together here.