After the Storms: Finding Calm, Connection, and the Courage to Travel Again
Two years, four hurricanes, and one long stretch of personal repair. Zachary Moses shares how storms—both physical and emotional—reshaped his outlook on travel, resilience, and the meaning of moving forward.
By Zachary Moses, Chief Experience Officer, HE Travel
Published October 2025
Weathering Two Years of Hurricanes
In 2023, Hurricane Idalia put two-and-a-half feet of water into our Cedar Key home. Thirteen months later, Helene followed with four-and-a-half feet. Between them, Debby flooded only our patio room, and Milton, though sparing Cedar Key the worst, devastated Tampa and left behind days of cleanup for us on top of Helene’s destruction.
Four storms in two years. Enough to wear out even the most hopeful among us.
Each rebuild stripped away more than drywall—it stripped away comfort and certainty. I’ve spent my career helping people see the beauty of the world, yet I was learning again how easily that beauty can be torn apart. It’s hard to keep sharing optimism when the floorboards themselves feel temporary.
Rebuilding the Dock—and Perspective
After Helene destroyed my dock, my son Archimedes came to help me rebuild it this spring. He flew down for the month of April, and together we hauled lumber, hammered, measured, and argued with the tide. Flying has become so routine in both our personal and professional lives that it barely felt like travel—until we stood side by side on the rebuilt boards, finally able to watch a sunrise from my dock again.
It wasn’t perfect when we finished, but it stood again—and sometimes “mostly back together” is enough.
Finding Faith During Still Waters
By May, life off the water was its own storm. Trisha was leading our Botswana tour, and I reluctantly stayed in Salt Lake City to hold things together. The quiet was loud.
During those weeks, I accepted an invitation from friends to join them for Sunday mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. I’d spent decades photographing cathedrals around the world but had never stayed for the words. That morning I did.
The message was simple—mercy, patience, generosity.
If people truly lived those three words, we’d inhabit a gentler planet. Maybe that’s why both faith and travel feel like practice runs at becoming better humans.
Milestones and Masks
June brought milestones that required composure. My son graduated. Our home filled for a family reunion. An anniversary passed that looked normal from the outside.
It was a month of smiles that took more effort than usual to maintain. Some storms roar in; others arrive quietly and rearrange your world without warning.
That summer I lost more weight than I meant to—grief disguised as progress—but it’s finally leveling out. The body recalibrates once the heart stops holding its breath.
Same Neighbors, New Energy
By August, those same friends who had invited me to the cathedral—newly displaced from the house across the street—moved into the one we’d been rebuilding. It was mostly finished, a small victory after so much chaos. Their laughter filled what had been empty for months.
It reminded me that rebuilding doesn’t have to be solitary work. Sometimes community shows up exactly when you’ve run out of nails and energy.
Rediscovering Joy in St. Lucia
September brought St. Lucia—our first true vacation alone since our honeymoon. No clients, no vendors, just space.
The island was lush and forgiving, proof that joy can return even to exhausted ground. I didn’t come home with clarity, but I came home with quieter questions—and sometimes that’s the better gift.
Escaping Storm Fatigue Through Travel
Now, after two years of floodwater, drywall, and emotional triage, Florida’s coast has finally given us a break. Maybe we’re easing out of storm fatigue.
The air feels softer, the tides steadier, and that familiar pull to explore is back again—to go, to rebuild, to help others rediscover wonder.
If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to travel, consider this your signal. Storms—literal or otherwise—will always exist. Waiting for total calm just means missing the stillness that’s already here.
Travel is the calm. It’s the act of reclaiming movement, laughter, and community when the world feels small.
HE Travel’s Fall Into Friends Promotion
I’m proud of our Fall Into Friends promotion, running through October 31.
You’ll save $400 off any HE Travel group tour, plus an extra $500 off for each friend you bring.
And for select journeys—Jewels of India, Christmas Market Tour (only one king bed left), Sri Lanka, Botswana, and Antarctica—your savings are doubled to $800 per person. Use promo code: FRIENDSPLAY2025
Shared journeys matter most when life feels heavy. Gather your people, choose a trip that excites you, and let the road remind you what still shines.
See all current adventures at hetravel.com.
The Calm Between Tempests
I don’t know what storms next year will bring, but I know this: every time we move—toward laughter, toward wonder, toward each other—we rebuild something essential.
Here’s to the calm between tempests, to new friends on old roads, and to the courage it takes to keep traveling.
See you out there,
Zachary Moses
Chief Experience Officer, HE Travel
Suggested HE Travel Tours
Grand Canyon Rafting Adventure
Ride the Colorado River through one of the world’s most iconic landscapes. Camp beneath the stars, share stories by firelight, and rediscover awe at canyon scale.
Botswana Luxury Safari
Explore wild Africa in comfort—lions at sunrise, elephants crossing delta waters, and nights under Southern Hemisphere skies.
Dude Ranch Adventure – Southwest Colorado
Saddle up for a week of open ranges, mountain air, and easy camaraderie. Sometimes the best therapy involves horses and dust.
Puglia Culinary Journey
Cook, taste, and explore southern Italy’s hidden coastlines and hill towns. A feast for travelers who find healing through flavor and friendship.
Jewels of India
Experience India’s sensory wonder—from Jaipur’s palaces to Varanasi’s sacred ghats. A journey of color, spirit, and connection.
Sri Lanka Cultural Discovery
Ancient temples, tea-covered hills, and beaches that stretch forever. Perfect for travelers seeking peace, depth, and discovery.
Christmas Market Tour – Europe
Celebrate winter magic across Europe’s most charming cities. Just one king-bed room left—ideal for couples or close friends chasing holiday cheer.
Antarctica Expedition Cruise
Sail beyond the edge of the world. Penguins, glaciers, and stillness beyond imagination. Even the coldest places can move the heart.
