A big part of traveling to off-the-beaten path destinations involves pushing yourself to new limits. Whether it be mentally, physically or emotionally - there's always a way to stretch yourself a bit further. I think this is a big part of making travel transformational, and it's something I wish more people strive for in their trips. Sometimes you just want to jot off to somewhere for a weekend getaway, but when you really plan out an adventure, and dedicate a week or two or more, try to push yourself a bit, and the experience will be more rewarding than you've probably anticipated.

Living most of my life in Chicago, I'm not stranger to the snow, but there's a huge difference between the urban snowscape and the arctic tundra as you might well imagine. The photo is only a tease, but go see what it likes like for yourself for giant ice boulders to be formed from the constant shifting movement of glaciers. See how dramatically the landscape can change in just a day or two due to the creeping advancement of a glacier - it's incredible! You might get a feel for it in a time-lapse video or a series of photos, but that feeling of wonder and awe, there's no substitution for that.

An icy formation created by an advancing glacier.