Yet, it has accomplished what every vacation should do; namely, make the travellers reevaluate most everything about their lives. Unless one is very careful, life has a way of going on autopilot. That's a bad thing. Without shaking things up, people sometimes do not question key aspects of their own existence. Being away from the ordinary shouldn't just be for recreation. A good trip shows a variety of alternatives. A rut may not seem depressing at the time but it would be really sad to live with regrets of what one might have done differently. It might be even worse not to realize there were options!
The house cat will never go much beyond the yard.
For Jay and I witnessing the wider world gives perspectives. A great deal of the world's problems are caused because the general populous is ignorant of differing cultures and ways of living. We've always been fortunate to have had many choices. Our lives have been purposefully structured to promote reflection and redirection. Our time here in 2012 and 2013 has provided excellent data for contemplation. We will not fly away from this island the same way we arrived. We will be much better prepared to make upcoming decisions about our future direction.
This is why I'd rather travel than buy some object which would be in the dump or junk yard within a decade or two.