![]() ![]() When my father passed away 2 years ago, at his funeral no one talked about the cars he owned or things he bought. I understand that few people if any would want to travel they way I do, but you don’t have to do what I do to make traveling a higher priority than spending money on trinkets and crap. You can spend it seeing and exploring all this incredible world has to offer. You can spend it toiling day after day at something you don’t enjoy doing. You can spend it trying to impress other people that you probably don’t really care for. You can spend it accumulating crap that will eventually all be thrown away. The question I faced, and the question which everyone has to face is, “what are you going to do with your life?” There are so many things to see, you could spent an entire lifetime exploring and never come close to seeing it all. We have a finite number of days and we don’t know what that number is. I realize that everyone is aware of this fact and it isn’t something we like to think about, but it is true. I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but that’s it. The more I thought about the subject, the more I realized that when you cut away all the BS there was at the core one and only one reason why anyone should travel. I’ve done lists of my favorite things and I do occasional lists of trivia, but for something as personal and intangible as travel, I’m not sure it can or should be done. Maybe I could toss in points to pander to different groups and in the end have something which would generate tons of pageviews. I wish I could write a top 10 list with semi-obvious bullet points about why you should travel. It is also something very personal and different people are going to have very different reasons for traveling. The problem is, to me the “why” of travel is so obvious that it is hard to put into words. Having spent a half a decade exploring the world, more and more I find myself not just traveling for my own benefit but using my platform to encourage others to travel. ![]() As much as I want to go on a cruise next December, I would rather that Nicole and I adopt a much-needed sense of optimism… and allow the money jar to remain empty.For a while I’ve wanted to write something explaining why people should travel. However, sometimes we need to hear the truth, adopt a different perspective, and focus on the positive aspects of our lives. I am in no way suggesting we adopt a Pollyanna view of the world, and never share our burdens. We all have that go-to person that we rely on when things are coming undone. We could take that Christmas cruise in no time. If either of us grumbled about our “go to” topics verbally or through texts, we had to put money in the jar. I don’t think I have to tell you that she was more than ready to beat me in yet another competition. I texted Nicole and asked if she would be willing to enter a little challenge with me. One of the characters has to put a dollar in a jar every single time he says something jerky. I am almost certain that she has grown sick of hearing me drone on about the same old, same old. As soon as she brings up that topic, I tune out knowing that there is nothing I can say to move her forward. We each have one particular grievance that seems to dominate our discussions. Negative Nancy and Debbie Downer are stuck in a cycle of perpetual complaining. No real listening or offering of advice is necessary. Our conversations consist of one “woe is me” story after another. Lately, I recognized that Nicole and I had gotten into a bit of a rut. We speak to each other every single day, and have grown to respect and appreciate our differences. However, I am happy to report that these days we share a healthy friendship. Our relationship has not been an easy one. I am tall, clumsy, overly sensitive, and am satisfied with the ribbon given out for simply showing up. Nicole is petite, athletic, dominant, and competitive. From the beginning, it was clear we were opposites in every way possible. ![]()
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