Here’s another chart I like from Neil Pasricha’s “The Happiness Equation”:
The chart above speaks to the “flow” state made famous by social scientist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow is essentially that deep enjoyment you get when you are totally involved in life, such that time slows down for you. Flow happens when the challenge level of a task is perfectly aligned with your own skill level. If you’re very skilled but lacking in challenge, you’ll feel relaxed (or bored) but you won’t be in flow. Conversely, if the challenge is great but your skill level is modest, you’ll likely feel anxious or worried. 
When have YOU felt “flow” when traveling? When have you had the experience of being both skilled and challenged?
Myself, I felt my own version of flow while hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal.
The Circuit is quite the challenge. 12-22 days, 100-145 miles. There are days when you climb up 8 hours, then follow it with a day of descending 8 hours down steep stone steps. In short, it’s a knee crusher. But it’s so worth it!
One of my big wow moments on the trek was Poon Hill, a look out spot perched at 10,000 feet. Getting up there was definitely a flow experience. The challenge level was significant — climbing, climbing, climbing, all day long, with a hefty backpack – sort of like a Stairmaster on steroids, often on the edge of a cliff. Thankfully, after many days on the road, my skill level had slowly risen to challenge. With full focus, I found myself jumping from step to step, rock to rock, like a Himalayan mountain goat. It was a hard climb, and I was glad it was hard. And what a reward at the top: a breathtaking view, looking out across an undeveloped valley at snow-capped mountains all rising above 20,000 feet.
What’s your next wow travel location? What’s holdng you back from upping the challenge and skill level and elevating it to a “flow” event?