Around the World

"I really want to travel more." This phrase has come out of so many mouths to me. But alas, people just don't travel. Lack of money gets in the way.

Well, I'm going to travel. I don't have much money and will probably just walk around most trips but its not about buying things. In my humble opinion, traveling is about experiencing a different environment. I could buy stuff from any country on Ebay. I can't tell you how it feels to look at the New York skyline as your plane descends back to earth. I could guess but unless I do it, I'll never know. I'm certain it looks like something I rarely see. Accomplishment.

Last summer, I went on a trip with my good friend Kara to Chicago. We planned and paid for it all by ourselves. Our parents just drove us to the bus station. From that point on, we were on our own. Us against the big world. The bus ride was mostly in the dark so it felt as though we were in a different world.
But then I saw the skyline. Like a lighthouse bringing our boat to shore.
I cried. Seriously! You can ask Kara. I just kept saying, "We did it." I kept saying it to the point that she said, "Okay yeah we did it," out of annoyance.
Though I knew I might have been a bit over emotional, I had accomplished something all by myself. I took the initiative and had arrived at my destination. Some might say, "Yeah cool you bought a bus ticket. Good for you." And those people are wrong. I did so much more than that. I stopped thinking about doing something and I actually did it. I fucking did it. I wouldn't have experienced the things I did if I hadn't bought that bus ticket. I wouldn't known that I wanted to go to college instead of just moving. I wouldn't have known that Chicago is a place I want to live and work. I just wouldn't know.
There is only so much you can learn and feel from a laptop.

So now as I set off on my next adventure, I will remember that no matter what happens while I'm there, I accomplished something great. Even though I'm traveling by plane this time, I know that the same emotions will hit me when I see that skyline welcoming me into it's heart.

Thanks for listening. Come back for more.