When people hear the word Abundance, they often think of accumulation. More money. More possessions. More experiences. More achievements.
My recent journey through Namibia reminded me of another kind of Abundance.
Spaciousness.
Namibia is a land of extraordinary scale. The sky stretches so far that it almost feels tangible. Vast desert landscapes extend to the horizon. Along the Skeleton Coast, the sense of remoteness is almost impossible to describe until you experience it yourself.
Living in Los Angeles, there is always sound. Traffic. Sirens. Helicopters.
In Namibia, the silence was striking. Immediately, I could feel my whole nervous system begin to quiet.
The night skies captivated me. Each night, I was awed by the beauty and vastness overhead. Some nights, I felt like I could actually touch the stars. When I could, I had my bed moved onto the balcony so I could sleep beneath them.
Looking back, the journey unfolded in an unexpected way.
At first, I was simply happy to be in Africa again.
The vastness had a profound effect on me. The farther I traveled into Namibia, the more space I felt around my thoughts and around the things that occupied my attention.
Then came the question: What can I let go of?
The desert is an interesting teacher. It does not overwhelm you with Abundance in the traditional sense. It shows the beauty of simplicity. Looking across endless dunes and open horizons, I found myself reflecting on old stories, unnecessary worries, expectations, and habits that no longer deserved space in my life.
Then came possibility.
Once something is released, space becomes available.
Somewhere between the dunes and the Skeleton Coast, I found myself thinking less about what I had left behind and more about what lay ahead. The horizon felt endless. The possibilities felt endless, too.
There is a different quality to thought when your gaze reaches for miles instead of feet. I found myself looking farther ahead.
The landscape itself seemed to offer an invitation:
Look even farther.
How will this experience live in your life once you return home?
By the time I reached the final stop on the journey, I carried a greater appreciation for spaciousness. The vast landscapes gave me room to think. That perspective is what I brought home.
Perhaps that is one of the gifts of travel. A place can change the way you see your life long after it is no longer in view.
PHOTO OP + ACTION OPPORTUNITY
Creating Space
Photo Credit: Joey Huang
Photo Op
Photograph a scene that conveys spaciousness. It may be a wide landscape, an open sky, a quiet room, or a simple moment with nothing competing for your attention. As you take the photograph, ask yourself: Where in my life would I benefit from more space?
Action Opportunity
Spend a few minutes with your photograph. What does it reveal about the space you are seeking right now? Identify one thing you can release this week to create more room for what matters most.
Journeys that Create Space
One reason I care so deeply about designing journeys is that they create more than movement. They create perspective.
Featured · Hanoi, Bangkok, and More
Take a Shot at Happiness Southeast Asia
November 24 – December 08, 2026 | 15 Days
This experience moves through Hanoi, Lan Ha Bay, Hoi An, Siem Reap, Bangkok, and Koh Samui, with food, culture, water, temples, markets, and time at the end to settle before returning home.
What I love about this itinerary is the spaciousness within it. Each place carries its own atmosphere. As the journey unfolds, you begin to notice what reaches you. You may arrive with one idea of what will matter most, then find that a beautifully prepared meal, a river crossing, or a quiet morning in a temple lingers most.
Experiences that give you a plan, then leave room for the day to surprise you.
Namibia: Desert, Wildlife, and Wonder
For travelers drawn to vast landscapes, extraordinary wildlife, and the kind of beauty that changes your sense of scale.
This 12-day journey moves through some of Namibia’s most remarkable regions, from Etosha and Damaraland to Kaokoland, the Skeleton Coast, and Swakopmund. Along the way, you experience a country of endless horizons, desert-adapted wildlife, ancient rock art, remote coastlines, and meaningful encounters with the people and landscapes that shape this part of the world.
What makes Namibia so powerful is the feeling it leaves with you. Space takes on a different presence here. The scale of the land, the silence, the night skies, and the long distances between places create room for a different kind of attention. You move through the journey surrounded by beauty and wonder, and something in you begins to widen in response.
That is Abundance through Spaciousness in travel form. A journey that offers wilderness, elegance, perspective, and the rare feeling of having been somewhere that stays with you long after you return home.
For travelers who want culture, comfort, and expert insight held with ease and thoughtful care.
There is a particular kind of Abundance in travel when the details are already in place and your attention is free to expand. These curated PONANT voyages offer that kind of space. You unpack once, then move through a world of culture, cuisine, history, nature, and conversation with a sense of comfort that allows the experience to reach you more fully.
The collection spans destinations including the Greek islands, Southern Spain and Portugal, the Caribbean, Panama, Costa Rica, Italy, and beyond. Along the way, expert-led lectures, performances, tastings, and guided excursions bring each place into sharper focus, while life on board offers its own quiet pleasures and refinement. Featured departures run from July 2026 through September 2027.
For the journeys I personally host, the experience continues after you return home. Your trip includes my happiness online course Take a Shot at Happiness: A Happiness Explorer’s Journey (a $997 value) to help you stay connected to what you noticed once you return home.
Why Travel with Me
Through Sojourn Explorers, I create journeys that are as thoughtfully held as they are beautifully designed. I care about the pacing, the atmosphere, and the space a journey creates for you to take in what a place is offering. This is for travelers who want more than a beautiful itinerary. It is for those who want travel to expand perspective, deepen experience, and continue living with them long after they return home.
I write this newsletter for people who love travel and who care about how it changes them.
These notes are part of an ongoing conversation about how we travel and how we return. Each issue includes a simple practice inspired by my book Take a Shot at Happiness — photography and a few lines of writing — to help you notice what is worth keeping.
If someone came to mind as you read this, feel free to forward it.
Sign up for Maria Baltazzi’s Take a Shot at Happiness newsletter for practical ways to bring more happiness and meaning into your life. An award-winning author and happiness explorer, Maria shares science-backed tools to shift unproductive thoughts, stay inspired, and grow in fulfilling ways. Her book, Take a Shot at Happiness, has won multiple awards, including the Independent Press, NYC Big Book, and Nautilus Book Awards. She uniquely integrates camera phone photography and journaling as tools for self-reflection and personal growth. Each issue offers insightful advice, uplifting quotes, and simple ways to enhance your wellbeing. Join a community that values purpose, creativity, and happiness.
