Trip, Vacation or Pilgrimage: The Differences
NOTE: We will be going on a pilgrimage in October to Rome and Assisi, Italy. We’re happy to take your prayer intentions along with us. For more information, or to submit your request, click here.
We have always loved to travel, but our purpose and intent have changed over the years, just as have the styles and locations. We no longer make the annual trek to Idaho (although we did this year) or the twice-yearly trips to Disneyland. (Five times in one year was our record.) We have broadened our horizons as well as our borders.
When the kids were little, we distinguished between trips and vacations. The annual road trip to Idaho was strictly a “trip.” We had fun, but we spent most of the time traveling. Sometimes the Disneyland adventures included a little vacation, like swimming at the hotel pool, but those were mostly trips too. The closest we got to a true vacation was a cruise, and we’ve enjoyed a few of those.
The first real vacation we enjoyed was a week in Maui in 2013. Money was extremely tight, but we splurged on flights and stayed at a timeshare with our favorite cousins. That experience was transformative. It gave us the rest we so desperately needed and encouraged us to work toward better days to come.
Our first pilgrimage came more than a decade later, when we fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine to visit Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp in Poland. That experience was transformative too. For almost two weeks, we traveled and prayed our way through Poland, Czechia, and Germany in remembrance of World War II and all those who suffered because of it.
Travel isn’t easy, but it is almost always worth the cost. Time, money, frustration, and physical demands are the price we pay for experiences that leave indelible marks. The key is to stay focused on the intention. Every form of travel has a purpose, but you have to know what you’re getting yourself into. You don’t go on a pilgrimage to work on your tan.
Trips can be quick and easy, brief diversions from everyday life. Sometimes they are necessary for work. They can be a lot of fun, but they can also wipe out your energy. Vacations are healing. The travel itself can be frustrating, but the rest and pleasure make up for the hassle. Pilgrimages give us a chance to travel toward something sacred. They invite us to sacrifice for an experience we trust will feed and transform our souls and draw us closer to God.
Leroy still has to travel for work occasionally, which means trips. We often take the kids away for a tradition we call “Granny and Grandpa Get-Away,” which is definitely a trip. These days, we focus on vacations and pilgrimages, where we let the adventures heal, teach, and transform us.
