Transformative Experiences

@moffittjc (118197)
Gainesville, Florida
March 29, 2016 8:30pm CST
When you grow up with something, it's easy to take things for granted. For example, when I was a little boy, I lived within walking distance of the ocean, with a nice beach, plenty of sand to build sand castles, and waves to splash around in. My parents encouraged me to spend time at the beach, and we often went there as a family. On the other hand, I never saw mountains until I was a teenager (the Rocky Mountains in Colorado). And I can tell you, visiting the mountains for the first time was a truly transformative experience for me. Suddenly, the teenage facade of coolness was thrown out the window, and I was once again as giddy as a little kid! Last weekend, I was starting a spring cleaning project in my room and came across a box of old photos that included my first experience in the mountains. As is usually the case, I forgot about the cleaning and instead got sucked into the memories of experiencing mountains for the first time. For me, seeing mountains for the first time was a transformative experience, a feeling of interacting with the world in a whole new way. It was, for me, a life-changing experience, and one I can still vividly recall to this day. Almost all of us encounter a transformative experience sometime in our lives. What was your transformative experience?
20 people like this
18 responses
@jstory07 (133739)
• Roseburg, Oregon
30 Mar 16
When we left Europe and came back to the states. The staytes was so different than Europe.
5 people like this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Mar 16
Were you from Europe originally, or did you just live over there for a while?
• St. Petersburg, Florida
30 Mar 16
I grew up in San Diego, and never saw the mountains except from a distance. When I was 12, a friend invited me to go to the mountains with them for the day. I did, and it was magical. I don't remember too much about it now, but it was the first time I ever saw snow.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Mar 16
Although I had seen snow several times, I was in my 20's the very first time I saw a large accumulation of snow. I was in college at the time, and we were visiting friends at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. I spent hours making snow angels and building snowmen, and everyone was laughing at me for acting like such a kid! I didn't care, I was having so much fun!
2 people like this
• United States
30 Mar 16
When I turned 40, I was going through a rough time. A friend offered the use of her camp that was near a beach in Maine. I jumped to the offer. I had been to the beach with my mother as a teenager. Didn't fully appreciate the experience. Saw the ocean as we passed by it in a station wagon. I had a window seat and was disappointed not to be able to walk the sand. The first day of my venture at the beach as an adult was mind altering. I lay out my blanket. Told my kids not to go out too far as they ran toward the water. I slathered on thick layer of sunblock, pulled my hair back, sat on the blanket and gazed out at the waves as they rolled in and out. The gulls flew over the beach, some landing in the sand looking for food. Children were playing near the water or on the beach. People walked along bending to pick up an occasional shell. I closed my eyes and breathed in the salty air. It was invigorating. I spied my children at the water's edge. Their laughter beckoned me to join them. We waded into the water together, laughing, splashing, enjoying the day. As the tide went out, we started collecting shells. We had bags full of them. As the day drew to an end we gathered up our belongings and went back to the car. We drove back to the camp, exhausted. After 2 days we drove back home. I was forever grateful for the experience. I would forever yearn to go back.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Mar 16
That truly sounded like a life-changing event for you! And by your detailed description, you can tell it still resonates vividly in your memory, a sign that you indeed had a transformative experience. I bet you will remember that moment in time for the rest of your life!
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Mar 16
@moffittjc I would go back every weekend if I could afford to do so. The ocean is great therapy for me. Have been there in February following an ice storm. Wow, what a site that was. Absolutely gorgeous. Walked the beach bundled up like an eskimo. Invigorating stroll!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Apr 16
@ElusiveButterfly How far is the ocean from where you are? Is it a quick, easy trip, or do you have to put some time into it? I'm about an hour and a half from the most beautiful beaches in Florida, so I try to make the trip at least once a month...sometimes more frequently in the spring when the weather is at its best.
1 person likes this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
30 Mar 16
I like you grew up closer to the sea than the mountains, not that we had a local beach, for us it was the hustle and bustle of the port that was ever present, especially as my dad worked there. I fell in love with mountains when I was old enough to explore the country on my own, the Lake District and Pennines were particularly my favourites. Photos always give me time to pause, but as mine are mostly slides I would have to setup the projector to see them.
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
2 Apr 16
@moffittjc That was a long time ago when I lived in England.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 16
Are the Lake District and the Pennines both in Canada? The closest I've come to mountains in Canada was when I went skiing at Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood, Ontario back in my college days!
1 person likes this
@Drosophila (16573)
• Ireland
30 Mar 16
Erm difficult to say, I've travelled a lot and lived in many places. The only thing call to attention must've been when we moved to Cambridge UK, when I was 12, very different to rest of England
1 person likes this
@Drosophila (16573)
• Ireland
30 Mar 16
@Poppylicious lol.. surrey is not that much better either.. that's where we moved to next. But I liked cambridge.. it had a great vibe
30 Mar 16
The only difference between Cambridge and the rest of England is the extortionate house prices!
2 people like this
31 Mar 16
@Drosophila I would prefer Cambridge if the students and tourists stopped making it so busy. And the bikes! My goodness, those pesky bikes!
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Mar 16
That is because your whole state of Florida is as flat as a pool table. My grandsons moved to Oklahoma. That was their first complaint about the place, it's flat. In California, you can spend the morning in the mountains and the afternoon at the beach. You can see one from the other. Very nice.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 16
Hey, we do have a few hills in Florida! lol I live in the middle of the state, and where my house is the elevation is 86 feet above sea level! By Florida standards, that's like being up in the mountains! haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 16
@ElizabethWallace That was a funny one Elizabeth! A speed bump indeed! We laugh at the flatness of Florida, and often joke here that the closest we'll ever get to mountains in Florida is the local landfills!
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Apr 16
@moffittjc Sorry, Jeff. Speed bumps do not count.
1 person likes this
• Greece
6 Apr 16
I think it was the first time I saw a sunset wide across the sky. I had spent my childhood in a London suburb and the houses were stacked together and when the sun went behind them it was lost to me. Then one day when I was 18 years old I found myself on a hockey field in Singapore and I could see a broad spectrum of sky such as I had never seen before and the sun was setting. I have never forgotten that moment.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Apr 16
That would be a breathtaking moment that would be etched in one's mind forever! Glad you got to see it, and glad it was such a special moment for you!
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
30 Mar 16
seeing the ocean for the first time
1 person likes this
• Centralia, Missouri
2 Apr 16
@moffittjc it could be for an area that is new, but I think large bodies of water have a bit of something extra about them
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 16
@Jessicalynnt For those that believe humans evolved from single-celled organisms that migrated from the sea to land over eons, they would say that we are drawn to the water because that is where we first came from! lol I just think there is something tranquil and peaceful about the water. It is very soothing!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 16
I'm sure that is a very popular choice for a transformative experience, especially for people who don't live near the ocean or don't get to ever spend much time at the beach. Heck, I grew up on the beach, and I still find each visit as exhilarating as the first!
1 person likes this
@rakski (112993)
• Philippines
2 Apr 16
I am always at awe seeing and experiencing mountains and beaches. This are the two things that somewhat hard for me to see everyday since I was born, grew up and live in the city. Actually when I was younger, my dream is to marry a man living in the province because it seems like it is nice to be country living.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 16
Are you married now? Did you get to live your dream?
@Poppylicious (11133)
30 Mar 16
I don't think I have ever had one. Or I have them so regularly that they're just normal. I get those feelings when I see beautiful sunrises and sunsets, when the Flatlands of where I live become the hills of further inland, when the waves crash against the pebbles in winter, and when people start talking with daft accents the further I travel from home. Also, when I take a moment to look up ... we never look up. We should.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 16
If by looking up, you mean the heavens, I agree with you wholeheartedly! Every time I take the opportunity to gaze out into a night sky and look at the millions of stars scattered throughout the universe, it helps me put everything in perspective. The universe is such a vast expanse just begging for us to explore. It always sets my imagine in motion!
@JudyEv (323659)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Apr 16
This is a hard one - probably going to our capital city for the first time and seeing so many vehicles, shops and people. It's easy to get distracted looking through photos isn't it?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Apr 16
It's a guarantee that if I even see a photo album or box of photos that I will drop everything I'm doing and spend hours looking through old photos. It's like I can't help myself...similar to a moth that is helplessly drawn to the light! lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
6 Apr 16
@JudyEv A few years back, I had painstakingly scanned and saved every photograph I had ever taken in my life (well, at least the ones I still had in my possession). One day when I was at work, my house got broken into and everything I owned got stolen, including my computer that had every one of my photos. I lost everything. So now, as a result of that unfortunate incident, I now have very little photographs. It was like losing a huge part of my life. Now, I've learned to not only save everything electronically, but to also back it up so duplicate copies exist on a separate external hard drive.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323659)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 16
@moffittjc Have you been scanning old photos onto your computer so you'll have copies? Some old photos eventually deteriorate over time.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (59989)
• Perth, Australia
26 Jun 19
@moffittjc I see that most people like yourself have used travelling somewhere as there transformative experience but for the life of my I can't think of anything. Or at least, I can't think of anything positive. Not saying everything about me is negative but I've had some tough negative experiences that have been transformative experiences. I won't bring them up but you know some of them where bad things have happened and it changed my look of life but some of it for the good or as a learning tool for my future.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
27 Jun 19
I know for sure that when you finally take your dream trip to visit Texas, it will be a transformative experience for you. There's no doubt in my mind that it will be life-changing for your!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Jun 19
@VivaLaDani13 You better hurry up! You need to get over here!
1 person likes this
• Perth, Australia
28 Jun 19
@moffittjc Oh 100%. That for sure will be a transformative experience! And I can not wait!
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
30 Mar 16
I think it had to be when I was 15 and went to Alaska, all the extremely small towns, some with just one family in them. I couldn't understand why anyone would choose to live like that. Now that I'm older I completely understand, so the transformative experience was delayed in me somehow. I was a teenager and didn't want to be there, I wanted to be home with my friends. I could so live like that now.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 16
I totally agree with you! I spent several summers with my relatives in northern Alaska when I was a teenager, and at the time I couldn't for the life of me understand why anyone would live there; now, I would give anything to be living that life right now!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 16
@fishtiger58 Where we were in Alaska was north of the Arctic Circle, so I can't remember for sure what the timeframe was, but it was something like 6 weeks of light, six weeks of dark, or something to that effect.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
2 Apr 16
@moffittjc I would too. It's beautiful there. The only thing I would hate is the 5 to 6 hours of daylight in the winter. That might make me go mad.
• India
2 Apr 16
I had the experience almost same like you, when i firstly saw,the mountains of Himalayas( often known as house of snow)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 16
I can imagine how beautiful the Himalayas must be! That is a sight I would love to see someday!
1 person likes this
• India
2 Apr 16
@moffittjc yes it is the highest mountain peak containing Mount everest.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (454850)
• Switzerland
30 Mar 16
My transformative experience was when I saw the desert for the first time. It was the North African desert, a great experience.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 16
I've never experienced a desert before, but once when we were driving around southern Colorado, we got lost and somehow came upon Great Sand Dunes National Park, which essentially looked like a desert there was so much sand! To this day, I still can't fathom how all that and got there in the midst of all the mountains that surround it!
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38224)
• Philippines
5 Apr 16
When father breathed his last, I knew that I would never see him again.
• Eugene, Oregon
30 Mar 16
I had to think a moment, but it was when we moved from Texas to California and I saw the beauty and power of the Pacific Ocean for the first time. I was 15 then and have remained within an hour of that ocean the rest of my life, except for one unhappy year in Spokane, Washington.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 16
Of the dozens of times I've been to California, only once did I take the time to see the Pacific Ocean, and it was when I was in San Fransisco. I remember how freezing cold the water was, and I also remember how eerie it looked watching the fog roll in off the ocean toward the city.
1 person likes this
@Dena91 (15758)
• United States
30 Mar 16
I've had several. When I moved from up north to the south it was transformative experience for me. In the south, people are truly friendlier and aren't as much in a hurry. I love this type of life much better. When I married Mike. To make a long story short I never thought or wanted to be married because of growing up in such a dysfunctional family. I decided as a kid I didn't want to spend my adult life like they did, screaming and hating one another. God had other plans for me. I'm blessed. The biggest transformation came when I accepted Jesus as my Lord in 1991. He has blessed me, forgiven me and is continuing to make me who He wants me to be every day. These three transformations are the biggest and the best that I have experienced.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118197)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Mar 16
You listed three very worthy transformational experiences! Kudos to you, especially on your third one!
1 person likes this