Wonder is a funny thing. It’s not quite the same as joy. Joy feels gentle, everyday, something you can find in the small moments. But wonder… wonder is different. It’s bigger. It’s those moments that almost take your breath away. The ones that make you stop, feel something deep in your chest (or your stomach), and think, wow.
I’ve been lucky enough to experience that feeling a few times in my life, and it’s something I’ll never forget. One of the biggest moments of wonder for me was when we visited Universal Studios several years ago. It was my first time going somewhere like that, and I honestly wasn’t prepared for how it would make me feel. As soon as we arrived, I was so overwhelmed with wonder that I actually cried. Properly cried!
And then we stepped into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter… and that feeling just completely took over. It’s hard to even explain it properly, but it was like being transported somewhere else entirely. The detail, the atmosphere, the magic of it all… it just oozed wonder. Even now, just thinking about it gives me all the feels again.
I had a very similar experience when we visited the Harry Potter Studios in England. That moment when we were all standing in front of the big doors to the Great Hall, waiting for them to open… I can still picture it so clearly. They asked if it was anyone’s birthday (looking at the kids lol) and invited them forward — and well… it was my birthday too (!). So I got to step up and push the doors open as well. Honestly, it was one of those moments I’ll never forget. Pure wonder.
And then there was Canada. The first time we visited, I remember looking out at the scenery — the snow-capped mountains, the sheer vastness of it all, the beauty — and just feeling completely in awe. It’s that kind of wonder that sits deep inside you, that you can still feel years later. Even now, I can feel it in my stomach just thinking about it… and it makes me long to go back.
I think those moments matter more than we realise. Because while we can find joy in the everyday, wonder reminds us just how incredible life can be. It pulls us out of our routines, out of our thoughts, and drops us right into the present in the most powerful way.
And the best part? We don’t have to stop experiencing it just because we’re adults. Maybe we don’t feel it quite as often, but it’s still there, waiting for us. In new places, new experiences, or even sometimes in moments we don’t expect at all. We just have to stay open to it. Because that feeling… that sense of wonder… is pure magic.
This is something I touch on in my book too — that idea of staying open to life, to experiences, and to those moments that remind you just how magical it can all be. If that resonates, you can find it on Amazon and if you google The Enchanted Midlife by Suzy Turner, you will also find it on numerous other online bookstores (it’s available as an ebook AND a paperback—and in Portuguese too!).
If you’re taking part in the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year, let me know in the comments so I can check out your posts. And if you’d like to catch up on the rest of mine, you can find some of them here: A is for Alchemy, B is for Becoming, C is for Cycles, D is for Disillusionment, E is for Energy, F is for Flaws, G is for Grumpy, H is for Hormones, I is for Intuition, J is for Joy, K is for Kindness, L is for Laughter, M is for Midlife, N is for Nourish, O is for Overthinking, P is for Purpose, Q is for Quiet, R is for Rubbish, S is for Silly, T is for Today, U is for Unwind, V is for Values.
