Escape.

What an engaging word…especially in relation to vacation - root word vacate, meaning to leave, to cease to occupy.

The lure to step out of one’s everyday life, even if only for a day, a week… is intoxicating. Along with relaxation, exploration and luxury, the word escape is one of the “Holy Grail of Concepts” in the travel industry. If a travel company can truly communicate that feeling, they’ve got you - before you know it, you’re booking your trip.

Images really do have the power to transport. They can take you to places you’ve never been, or back to places that hold vivid memories for you.

In my case, this image taken on the Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali Coast in Kauai, takes me back to where I was this very time, one week ago.

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The exhaustion felt after nearing the end of an eye-poppingly beautiful 11 mile backpack trip:

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the reward of a stunning, empty beach…

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…where I would pitch my tent on the edge of the sand and listen to migrating whale calls through the night, the greens more vivid and varied than in any place I’d ever been.

Bob Stefko/Getty Images

These images all hold special meaning to me now. I know what the air smells and feels like…

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…I know what the water feels like…

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…and I know how quickly the rain comes on.

Bob Stefko/Getty Images

I know the true meaning of ESCAPE.

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