Appreciating Travel

One of the greatest desires I have is to visit all seven continents. I caught the travel bug at a young age. I was 14 when I visited Europe for the first time. I experienced a whole new world that I didn't even realize existed. Different cultures, sights, and languages. The most unfortunate part about that trip is that I was ungrateful and took it for granted. This was a time in my life when I was too self-absorbed to see the big picture. I was living beyond my means; if that's even appropriate for a 14 year old to do. It was luxurious, and I had a taste of luxury that I wasn't appreciating. I saw the sights that were tremendous, and to me, it was just another piece of history. History I didn't care about nor did I understand. Don't get me wrong I had a great time on this cruise, I just didn't know how to make the most out of this experience. As I grew up I kept wanting to go back, I was hungry for more. Now 10 years later I'm still thinking about that vacation and what I would do differently.

Since then, I have been to Europe 2 other times: once on a week-long school trip in 2017 and the other for a 2-month period as a study abroad in 2020. I don't believe it clicked in 2017. Me, a junior in high school, still couldn't appreciate the purpose of this excursion. Perhaps in the grand scheme of things we don't see what is right in front of us and only appreciate it in the retrospect. I was speaking with a friend recently who was on the study abroad with me. We met going in blind as roommates and I am forever grateful for it. We catch-up and of course reminisce. Even then, we relate about not appreciating that time spent in the moment. I hate to say that I don't live life in regret. you can't change the past, you can only do better in the future and try to learn from your mistakes.

Half of the time I am there to vacation and sight-see for the chance to post it on social media, and yes, I am willing to admit that. What is the purpose of those experiences if only for the gratification of a 'like' or 'comment'? To say I went? To say I made I've been to this place? To experience something greater than myself? To create a better appreciation for the things around me? To grow closer to my travel companions? Is a honeymoon meant for the couple to post about it? Or to celebrate their newly-wed?

Maybe the next time I attempt to take for granted some random weekend excursion I'll take baby steps in seeing the life before me. Steps toward a new appreciation of experiencing life. I'll keep some of those adventures to myself. Between me and my journal. Something I can look back on and know I enjoyed it for myself because I deserve adventure. I can't fathom growing old and saying that I lived my life for people who don't matter to me. So to reiterate my desire to visit all 7 continents, I want to experience life; my life, and greater life. I want to tell my grandchildren that I lived the life I deserved. The life I lived for myself.