My Journey Towards Travel

"Every man's life ends the same way. It's only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another."

- Ernest Hemingway

I've always wanted to live my life in a way that distinguished itself from others. The spirit of adventure has filled my veins since my early childhood days of climbing trees and looking out of my first airplane window. Growing up, the longing to discover more and experience the magic in the world has driven me to many great places and built friendships with even greater people. I think that longing resides in all of us. The longing to learn something new, to grow as a person and build lasting memories.

The problem I find, is that new experiences require a greater level of work and commitment. To foster new growth, we cannot plant the same seed day to day, and expect a different result from the day before. Instead, we must plant a new seed, on new ground, and experience the resulting outcome for what it is. Some outcomes may leave you disappointed. Some may leave you stunned in the awe of its glory, or captivated in your new found love for whatever it may be. Trying new things takes effort, and it requires a level of risk that many are uncomfortable taking.

Instead, many of us seek rhythm and structure. Our bodies learn to complete schedules almost autonomously, and as a result our bodies become conditioned to utilize the least amount of energy necessary to get by. We learn short cuts and our body becomes less efficient, and less equipped to handle new inputs and experiences. Our sense of adventure, if not managed, can wither away over time.

Think back with me to your childhood. Think about the time spent playing outside in the backyard, the park, or at a friends house. As a kid we are filled with imagination and intrigue. Everything is new and exciting and the act of exploration is untamable. As we grow we decrease our learning and increase our doing. We stop seeking new experiences and focus on mastering the things we consistently do.

As I grow and mature I find the idea of slowing down and falling into a sedentary rhythm unbearable. During high school I became a zip line guide and my love for the outdoors and adventure became all the more prevalent. I find I cannot be content with merely doing zip lines however. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love what I do. Since the age of 18, I've climbed the ladder in my company from zip line guide, to lead guide, and to my current position as course manager in a few short years. I now manage a team of roughly forty five guides and manage the operations of the largest zip line course in the entire world. This is only to say that I am very proud of the career I've made and absolutely love every moment spent working there. Still, when we succumb to a daily rhythm or structured schedule, a part of us dies. I would argue the part of us that begins to lose importance is the most interesting and exciting part about us. Don't we owe it to ourselves then, to feed that side of us that longs for adventure and new experiences. That part of us after all, is what keeps us young at heart. It's the part that makes us feel alive!

We can't all afford those glorious vacations we see on the travel channel. Lord knows we would take those vacations if we could! What we can do, however, is set aside time to experience the world around us. We all have access to new experiences, recreation, and leisure opportunities. From the backyard to the other side of the planet, we all owe it to ourselves to seek time away from the mundane. Not only will we thrive as human beings for taking the time to mentally stimulate ourselves in a fun and exciting way, but we will take those positive benefits back with us into our professional lives to become more productive, sought after, and highly valued employees.

Join me on my adventures near and far as I share with you the many exciting places I visit. In the coming blogs I hope to educate and inspire you all to try new things and challenge yourselves and others to enjoy life outside of your busy schedules.