Can you remember your first trip, or first vacation? If you can’t, think about the first one that comes to your head. Think about the feelings you had while experiencing this new place and the thoughts that entered your head while discovering a new culture. When I was five I took a trip to Nashville. I don’t exactly remember the trip in its entirety, but I remember loving the experience even as a five-year-old. I remember seeing new places and things and just being in total awe of the bright city.
Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, I never really was around the bright city lights. I experienced corn fields, rivers and lakes, and lots and lots of grass and land. But I knew that as soon as I possibly could, I’d go out and see the world. I wanted to go everywhere, from the islands of Japan to the walk of fame in Hollywood, CA. I wanted to experience life in a whole new way. I wanted to breath different air and step on different soil. I guess you could say the love of traveling has always been in my blood.
Staying in one place for too long is difficult for me. While I definitely love my home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, it’s hard to stay here for too long without finding myself spontaneously buying plane tickets to new destinations. It’s not even that I’m discontent with where I am in life, because I really do love my home, but I have this great desire to go other places. I don’t think there’s anything necessarily wrong with that.
Some people use all of their money on clothes, food, and makeup. On the other hand, you may see me spending all of my paychecks on plane tickets and traveling expenses. People may say it’s a waste of time and money, but I definitely won’t sit back twenty years from now and remember all of the clothes I bought of all of the money I spent at different restaurants. I’m going to remember the places I went, the new people I met, and the things I experienced. I’m going to remember every single destination with bittersweet joy. I hope to someday say that I have filled up my entire passport with stamps from different countries and say with all honesty that deciding to travel the world was the best decision I ever made.
Any opportunity I have to travel is an opportunity I’ll take. I can’t think of anything that makes me happier than planning getaways and adventures. Traveling gets my adrenaline pumping and my soul aching for more. The memories I’ve made have been are memories I wouldn’t take back for the entire world. The amount of money I’ll spend on traveling will never amount to the joy that it brings.
Some may say I need to learn how to be content with where I am, but I think they have it all wrong. I love where I am, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. But while I have the time, I’m going to go out and experience the world. I’m going to see everything, and in the end, I’ll be so happy I did so.