Learning to "Grok : Take 5 Steps

Robert A. Heinlein wrote in his 1961 novel "Stranger in a Strange Land",  "We must grok in fullness". What does it mean to grok in fullness, or rather what does grok even mean? The dictionary defines grok as to understand something intuitively or through empathy, or becoming one with someone/something through empathy. Well how do we gain empathy then? The answer is simple, we put ourselves in the shoes of others.

This is one of the most fundamental principles of travel. We travel to see new places, experience new things, and put ourselves in the shoes of people who presently live in those destinations or situations as well as the people who have lived in years past in those destinations and situations. Through their eyes, we began to become empathetic and truly understand cultures, history, and day-to-day life of people around the world. Thus we truly can "grok" destinations and truly experience what it means to travel.

To be more specific, I would like you to consider taking these 5 simple steps in order that you may learn to "grok" your next travel experience. The prescription is simple. It involves conscientiously using your five senses on a daily basis while you travel. Ready, set, grok:

   1. Look to See: This is a given, every day try to see something new that you have never seen before.  
       Try to look for things other than what you thought you came to that place to see.

   2. Listen to Hear: Every day,take  
       a few minutes, find a relaxing  
       place while at your destination,
       close your eyes, and listen to the
       sounds around you. Strive to
       listen for things you wouldn't
       normally pick up on. For me, i
       loved to do this in Europe. I
       loved to hear the conversations
       in an outdoor cafe, listen to the
       symphony of cowbells in a
       Swiss pasture, and listening to
       water gushing through mountain
       streams.

   3. Touch to Feel:  Every day,
       touch something new that you never have before whether its the wet nose of St. Bernard, wooden
       texture of a 500 year old bridge, or the precisely crafted stone work of a centuries old cathedral.

  4. Sniff to Smell: Every day, strive to smell something new. These smells will stamp this experience
      in your memory so that if that scent comes wafting past your nose again in your life, you will be
      transported back to the time and place where you first smelled that scent.

   5. Lick to Taste: This is my favorite, search out something to taste/eat that you never have before.
       Not only will this help stamp out your hunger, but it will help you to experience and appreciate the
       culture of the destination that you are visiting.

Learning to "Grok" is an essential practice while traveling. While it is true that we travel for some much needed R&R, we must strive to "grok" the experience so that we can cement memories with those with whom we travel and be a able to gain a better appreciation and knowledge of the world in which we live.