Meraki and the Joy of Living Wholeheartedly
- Meraki, a Greek concept meaning to pour passion and soul into what you do, reflects how travelers experience deeper connection through learning, culture and community.
- Road Scholar ambassadors share how meraki shows up through global travel, creative expression, movement and meaningful everyday moments.
- Aging adventurously is about intention — trying new things, embracing growth and engaging fully with life.
- Greece, named Campus of the Year for 2026, embodies meraki through its people, traditions and immersive learning experiences.
As we celebrate Age Adventurously Day on June 8 — Road Scholar’s annual reminder to stay curious, engaged and open to new experiences at every age — there’s one Greek word that feels especially fitting: meraki (pronounced meh·ruh·kai).
Roughly translated, meraki means putting a piece of yourself into something. It’s passion, care and purpose woven together. And once you know the word, you start seeing it everywhere.
You see it in Greece, our Campus of the Year, where traditions are carried through generations by people who care deeply about what they do. But you also see it much closer to home — in the ways people learn, move, connect, create and continue growing throughout their lives.
We asked several Road Scholar Ambassadors — participants who help share the spirit of learning and adventure in their communities — a simple question: What does meraki mean to you?
Their answers had less to do with grand gestures and more to do with living fully.
For Jean M., meraki showed up in Crete. She remembers meeting artisans who opened their workshops on their day off simply to share their craft with Road Scholar participants — a knife maker carrying on generations of tradition, a potter shaping clay by hand and phyllo maker preserving techniques passed down over decades.
Those moments stayed with her not because they were flashy, but because they reflected the deeper qualities of pride, generosity and care.
Beth G. found something similar while watching a pottery demonstration, also in Crete. A simple moment became memorable because of the attention and love behind the work.
That’s the thing about meraki. You feel when someone brings their whole self to something.
For many ambassadors, travel itself has become an expression of meraki.
Wendy B. described planning adventures, learning about different places, connecting with people along the way and reliving experiences afterward through photos and travel writing. After experiencing all seven continents, she still approaches each journey with curiosity and intention.
Beth shared that, for her, meraki exists in every phase of travel — reading before she departs, meeting fellow learners and telling stories afterward, keeping the experience going long after her suitcase is unpacked.
And sometimes, meraki has nothing to do with travel at all.
Participant in a pottery class in Crete, Greece.
Lisa L. found hers in the gym. What began as a personal health goal evolved into something much larger: confidence, strength and community. Two years ago, movement felt difficult. Today, she talks about the joy of dancing freely, feeling strong in her body and sharing encouragement with the people around her.
“It’s the way I feel at the end of every class,” she said. “That’s my meraki.”
Other ambassadors spoke about meraki as legacy.
Kate B. pours hers into detailed travel photo books and journals she hopes will inspire her granddaughter to explore the world one day. Pamela P. described sharing knowledge with grandchildren, hiking with friends and staying curious about her own local community.
Sally M. offered one of the simplest and perhaps most relatable reflections — retirement creates more space for meraki. It means more time to invest energy into what matters most and more freedom to pursue interests, friendships and adventures with intention.
That spirit sits at the heart of Age Adventurously Day.
Aging adventurously isn’t about checking destinations off a list or staying endlessly busy. It’s about remaining engaged with the world around you, continuing to learn, following curiosity and pouring yourself into the things that bring meaning and connection.
In so many ways, Greece embodies that spirit beautifully. Meraki is woven into everyday life there — in meals prepared with care, conversations shared across generations and traditions preserved through human connection.
But our Ambassadors reminded us of something important — meraki doesn’t stay in Greece. It’s something you bring home with you.
Maybe it looks like finally signing up for the class you’ve been considering. Maybe it’s planning a learning adventure you’ve always imagined taking. Maybe it’s investing more energy into your creativity, your community or the people you love.
Wherever you find it, follow it wholeheartedly.
Participant in a cooking class in Paros, Greece.