Calm [/kä(l)m/] noun; a state of tranquility.

“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer.” – Leonardo da Vinci

Calm is something we all crave. Elusive, for many, it reveals itself for just a brief moment like a flash of light, only to escape again, making us wanting more. I find my calm in my yoga practice, in travel and most importantly, my family. Where do you find your CALM? There is something powerful and calming about travel – it is during these moments that we let go, loosen our grip on the mundane and start focusing on what matters most.

Calm is not a destination for me, but a constant journey. It’s in the little moments and a gift I hope to share with my children. I find calm on my yoga mat. I find calm on a beach at sunset with my family. I find calm when I can step out of comfort zone and be present to now, in this moment. It is the peaceful hours in the early morning on vacation, when the kids are still asleep and it is just me and a cup of coffee staring out at the ocean. It’s my toes in the sand. A glass of wine and conversation with great friends. It’s coming home. Where do you find calm? Join me over the coming weeks, as I’ll be sharing images and posts about what brings me calm and I hope to inspire you to do the same.

Every trip, every traveler is different and with so many places to explore, Expedia and HipTravelMama are aiming to help you Find Your – CALM. But don’t take my word for it – this video says it all:

Find Your Calm in Aruba

To kick off Expedia’s #findyours campaign, I’m thrilled to be one of 10 amazing bloggers in the Expedia Find Yours Twitter Photo Contest. Each one of us owns a word or emotion that represents our personal experience of travel. #CALM is my word and together, we can get you closer to a grand prize of a 4-night stay at the Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort in Oranjestad, Aruba (in a Superior Room including breakfast and taxes). All you have to do is tweet your photo with #ExpediaFindYours and #calm from July 11 to July 31, 2012 to be entered to win the Grand prize or a $250 Expedia coupon.

There are two prizes up for grabs

1. Find your #CALM and enter for a chance to win a trip to win 4 nights at the stunning Bucuti and Tara Beach Resort in Aruba

2. In partnership with Expedia, I’m also giving away a $250 Expedia.com coupon here on HipTravelMama for all who tweet MY word #CALM with #EXPEDIAFINDYOURS which can be applied towards any package or experience on Expedia.com!

How to Enter: To be entered to win the grand prize, all you have to do is tweet your travel-related photo that inspires you to be calm using #ExpediaFindYours and #CALM from July 11 to July 31, 2012.

See Expedia for official rules.

We could all use more CALM in our lives. So, tweet daily. Tweet often, and share the #CALM with others so they can feel it too!

Namaste.

Disclaimer: This post is in partnership with Expedia as a participating blogger in the Expedia Find Yours Photo Contest. The opinions here are my own and contest is sponsored by Expedia.