I remember one day about 10 years ago. I was in high school and it was a special day at school when colleges and universities sent representatives to come and talk to us about our futures. I must admit that during my school days (and...of course... I have changed dramatically since then) I was a bit of class clown. Always speaking up in class and saying what was on my mind. Not afraid to say exactly how I felt. Sometimes it got me into hot water, but most of the time I just got a lot of laughs.
This particular day there was a young man at the front of the classroom. He was talking about our hopes and dreams for the future. What we wanted to accomplish and what goals we want to have fulfilled in 10 years time. He went around the classroom asking everyone and all their answers were fairly similar. Graduate. Own a farm and have a family. Get a bachelors degree. Be in school to become a doctor. Get married. Buy a house. YAWN! To me, all of these things sounded very boring and mundane. I couldn't imagine all these people I was going to school with would just suddenly grow up and become the adults that we now tormented. It was at that moment in my life that I decided to do things differently. I would not follow the crowd. I would not run with the herd of lemmings off the edge of the cliff and plummet to a final resting place (into adulthood.) I wanted to create my own path, and find my own direction. I wanted to clear my own way, a way that nobody else has ever gone. I will do things different then my fellow classmates of life.
When it came my turn to answer the question of my future, I boldly stood up and look around at every person in the that room and said with confidence and conviction "my goal is to be an Explorer of the World. I want to find new things and go places where nobody else has ever gone. I want to see and do as much as I can until the day I die." Of course, the class including our guest speaker, had no idea how serious and honest I was being and they all burst into laughter. But years later, when our Grade 12 Yearbook came out I opened up to a picture of myself wearing my graduation cap and gown and beside that was written "Future Career: EXPLORER".
Ten year later. I have traveled to about 20% of the world's countries in almost every continent. I have not just traveled them, I have lived in many of them. Spent time and gotten to know them. Four months ago I finally came home to start working what some people call a "Normal Job". It has been quite an adjustment for me, one that I am still working on . For the last 8 years I have been so mentally stimulated throughout all my travels and adventures that now that I am home, I find my mind wandering a lot to years past. Wishing to be back amongst the Akha tribe in the primitive mountains of Northern Thailand. Dreaming of being surrounded by the medieval architecture of Prague. Longing to smell the air at the edge of the Adriatic Sea on the coast of Croatia. Hoping to taste the sweet wines of the rigid Western Cape in South Africa. Wanting to be in the chaos of the crashing waves at Crane Beach in Barbados. There are so many places in the world that I still want to go, and so many places that I know I will return to. So where does this "normal life" fit in? How much more time will I waste sitting here while the world is at my fingertips...just waiting for me to experience it.
When it came my turn to answer the question of my future, I boldly stood up and look around at every person in the that room and said with confidence and conviction "my goal is to be an Explorer of the World. I want to find new things and go places where nobody else has ever gone. I want to see and do as much as I can until the day I die." Of course, the class including our guest speaker, had no idea how serious and honest I was being and they all burst into laughter. But years later, when our Grade 12 Yearbook came out I opened up to a picture of myself wearing my graduation cap and gown and beside that was written "Future Career: EXPLORER".
Ten year later. I have traveled to about 20% of the world's countries in almost every continent. I have not just traveled them, I have lived in many of them. Spent time and gotten to know them. Four months ago I finally came home to start working what some people call a "Normal Job". It has been quite an adjustment for me, one that I am still working on . For the last 8 years I have been so mentally stimulated throughout all my travels and adventures that now that I am home, I find my mind wandering a lot to years past. Wishing to be back amongst the Akha tribe in the primitive mountains of Northern Thailand. Dreaming of being surrounded by the medieval architecture of Prague. Longing to smell the air at the edge of the Adriatic Sea on the coast of Croatia. Hoping to taste the sweet wines of the rigid Western Cape in South Africa. Wanting to be in the chaos of the crashing waves at Crane Beach in Barbados. There are so many places in the world that I still want to go, and so many places that I know I will return to. So where does this "normal life" fit in? How much more time will I waste sitting here while the world is at my fingertips...just waiting for me to experience it.
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