The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: July ninth, getting into a traveling state of mind.

Many people assume exploration always entails a journey to far-off lands. But often exploration is more a state of mind than a matter of miles, one part locomotion and three parts the desire for discovery.

The place and purpose of the journey are sometimes secondary to the spirit that motivates it. True travelers see new things wherever they are. Given the proper frame of mind, a walk around the block can offer as much insight as a hike in the Himalayas. To come to know any place well, in its various seasons and disguises, is to travel deeply. Many stirring accounts of self-discovery have been written by travelers who never strayed far from home.

Of course, the converse can also be true. Those unable to open themselves to adventure will be unable to explore, no matter how far their journeys may take them. One can fly on business to the farthest corner of the globe and see nothing but hotels and office buildings. Likewise, vacationers who refuse to go out unless the weather's ideal and the sights acclaimed may miss the best parts of their journey.

As Lao Tsu observed, "To be great is to go forward, to go forward is to travel far, to travel far is to return home."

Wise travelers regard home with the same wonder as the most exotic destination. An eye hungry for detail, an ear that delights in nature's music, a taste for new experience: these are all pages in a traveler's passport, the tickets to experiencing a wide world of delights. In the end, the mind's ability to wander may what distinguishes us from other migratory species.

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