The World Is Meant to Be Traveled

My girlfriend, myself, and our two cats (Enzo & Shanti) are driving from FL to PA in less than 24 hours and this is what our living room currently looks like:

Besides the fact that our place is a mess, we’re not packed, we still have furniture to sell, and we’ve never driven cross-country with cats – I’d like to share with you the benefits of hitting the open road and taking an adventure…

Here are 5 things to keep in mind:

1. LIFE IS SHORT – As humans, we tend to get really comfortable and stay very confined geographically in our lives and we never really venture off too far. Life is too short to let beauty pass us by as we sit indoors and slave away for endless hours. It’s good to cut loose, take a vacation, and recharge our batteries.

2. THINGS WILL WORK OUT FINE – Some people do way too much planning. So much planning in fact, that they take away the fun of the adventure. Planning has it’s part, but don’t go overboard and try to plan every last detail. Things will work out fine. And if they don’t, you’ll learn some lessons and have an adventure (which in my opinion, things still worked out fine). Plan a little, but then hurry up and get out on the road – Take action and enjoy yourself :)

3. THE WORLD IS MEANT TO BE TRAVELED – “Before the development of tourism, travel was conceived to be like study, and its fruits were considered to be the adornment of the mind and the formation of the judgment.” –Paul Fussel, Abroad. We are blessed to live in an infinite universe full of immense beauty and the only things we’ll regret when we’re older are the things we didn’t do. The world is full of life and magnificence. Find a reason to get out and experience it.

4. YOU WILL GROW – The opportunity to meet new people, experience new things, and expand our minds all lie just beyond our comfort zone. Traveling is a great way to get out of “the box” and allow yourself to grow. Every time I’ve traveled I’ve taken away numerous lessons. I’ve also met incredible friends and was exposed to new foods, new thoughts, new beliefs, and lots more.

5. YOU’LL HAVE GREAT PHOTOS – I deeply appreciate photography and a picture really does paint a powerful story. There is something magical about that digital device I hold in my hands and all the beauty and memories it can capture. I know that years from now, I’ll be showing my kids the photos of me traveling the world and sharing with them the stories and experiences that I will never forget. Someone once told me, “People can take away all of your things and all of your belongings, but no one can take away your experiences.”

Here are some recent photos from my road trip in California (June, 2011):

Photographing the beautiful sunset at Sunset Cliffs, CA and Hiking the 3 Sisters Falls in San Diego, CA