Travel
Why Leave? Why travel?
Leaving your comfort zone is almost always uncomfortable. Leaving everything you know and are used in the pursuit of learning and growth can seem crazy. And not knowing when you’re coming back can seem risky. BUT…after meeting so many people from all over America and world the last few years, I’ve noticed a common thread – everyone always speaks highly of the value of travel, meeting people, and experiencing different cultures. Travelers are some of the happiest, mature, and thoughtful people I’ve ever met. They also say they wish they would have done it at a younger age so they could bring a more mature and worldly version of themselves to their work, marriages, and communities. They certainly have encouraged me to explore the world before I become too locked into any single place or situation. I’ve taken this advice to heart and feel that while I’m young and don’t have a mortgage, rent, cars, etc. I should capitalize on this opportunity to learn and grow as much as I can. I want to assure you that I have a bigger vision and dream for this journey, besides just fun and avoiding the responsibilities of adulthood. This is certainly not about relaxing at the beach and taking pictures. I actually have quite serious thoughts around what I’m looking to learn. For years now I have heard incredible things about the societiess, governments, and lifestyles in Scandinavia and Northern Europe. To be specific, the top 10 happiest countries (2018 UN study) are Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, Australia. On the Corruption Index, the same countries listed above are in the top 10. Now, I am not naive enough to think these countries are utopias with no problems and perfect equality for their citizens, but they certainly are functioning at incredibly high levels. My dad was aware of this too. He was deeply studying the issue in the book “The Blue Zones Solution – Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People”. While the books and articles are informative, I believe it is not enough to read about what these countries are doing well – I believe it must be experienced firsthand. I will be starting this journey in Denmark, consistently one of the least corrupt and safest countries. With discovery and experience, we hope to integrate these lessons and “best practices” into our own lives and communities. As with any journey, I’m not sure how long this will take and what exactly the outcome will be. I know that at the very least we will visit Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. I’ll be staying with and working alongside locals to support myself. This will help ensure that what I’m doing isn’t something that only someone with means/money can do. Ideally, this journey is something that anyone can do. Finding ways to better our lives, our communities, and our government has become incredibly important to me. I know these are lofty goals but I believe I need to aim high with my incredibly limited time and energy on this earth.
