The Virgin Mary just passed me by, carried rhythmically by a sea of devotees, trudging barefoot and singing hymns of praise. This is not a dream. It is the height of Sevilla’s holy week celebration when the city is at a standstill for weeklong activities, the highlight of every year in this Andalucian capital.

The scene is solemn and intense, emotional and full of pageantry. People are in traditional garb, some are dressed as Roman soldiers. Many are in black and donning laced veils and pointed hoods while spectators are in their Sunday best.

It is a week of sacrifice, of carrying the proverbial cross, and of reflection on the year that had just passed.

When it comes to these times of reflection, a few are as grand as holy week in Sevilla. But the goal is the same – to have time that is specifically set aside for self reflection. In our own personal way, we do need to have these pauses in our lives to help us integrate and reflect on what has come, been delivered, even shoved and thrown, our way. In traveling and exploring, these pauses for reflection can be priceless.

My most memorable moments when traveling are not just about the exciting sites I’ve visited but also revolve around the simple quiet moments, when my world is at a standstill.

Taking a break at a cafe in Mala Strana in Prague or having claras at a sidewalk bar in Lavapies in Madrid.

Long quiet walks in Arashiyama in Kyoto or stopping to sit on a park bench at the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris.

An afternoon of solitude at the Muslim Quarter at Temple Mount in Jerusalem or lying on grass after a bike ride in a vineyard near Santiago.

Reflection is essential in travel as it is in life.

Set aside a few hours, maybe even days if you can spare the time, of not having an itinerary. And put your phone down once in a while.

Take a break from the frenzy of trying to check off things in a bucket list and getting a bang for your buck. And just take a deep breath and “soak it all in.”

Take some pictures but don’t forget to put the camera aside and shift your focus away from photos that can be stored in a cloud somewhere to experiencing moments with your own senses that will be stored in your mind. And perhaps years later, there will be a time when you would like to relive one particular moment and share it. And when that time comes, you’ll be able to describe what you had experienced in great detail and affection, even more vividly than the photographs you had taken, because you were there at that moment and lived it.