What is Travel’s Genesis?
How do I go from wanting to travel, to actually traveling?
From birth to age 24, I had lived in three places: Medford, Massachusetts; New London, New Hampshire; and Boston, Massachusetts. In the 5 years since then, I have seen 34 states. To those who yearn for something different, only to find articles telling you how easy it is or seeing it glamorously posted on social media, hear me out. This article is not a “look where I’ve been”, it’s a “come find yourself with me”.
Pomposity, not curiosity, dragged me out of Medford when I was 18. I had been promised a spot on a college baseball team, which was all I needed to hear. I was ready to drink beer, play baseball, and meet girls. Colby-Sawyer College gave me so much more. New Hampshire and her endless greenery and mountainous glory seemed more like Mars to me than Massachusetts’ neighbor to the north. Her beauty captured me in ways I had never experienced. I saw stars, I saw actual wildlife (squirrels and pigeons are beautiful in their own right, but they have their place). Sirens, planes, trains, and car alarms no longer sang me to sleep- the soft whisper of a cool autumn breeze took on that role. I found myself continuously wanting more out of life, a desire to leave my ever-shrinking comfort zone.
At age 24, I could not stand the feeling any longer. After one phone interview, I drove from Boston, MA to Boulder, CO for a job I hoped I would get. I got the job (an underpaid Personal Trainer, for what it’s worth), and spent the next 3 years exploring “The West”. I was young, extremely poor, but I left New England with an open mind and a heart full of hope.
Now, the places I visited are inconsequential to this piece. More important is the feeling I had as my eyes first witnessed these places, many of them perfect in their simplicity: my first time setting eyes on the windmill farms of Kansas, the raw power of 3,100 tons of water falling over Niagara Falls every second, the tranquil stillness of winter in Winnemuca, NV. I was not targeting these places so I could share it with others on social media, I was simply letting life’s roller coaster take me on a ride, smiling the entire time.
So, what is “Travel’s Genesis”? At what single point do you stop reading this on your phone/tablet/laptop and begin opening your eyes to the beautiful countryside, as it begs to be explored? That is entirely up to you. I made the decision a long time ago that I will never be the “OMG you NEED to do this!” type. For those who have “the bug”, that insatiable desire to mix up your daily routine, your time will come. If you know you must get out, you know. You can only hold yourself back for so long.
My message to those that haven’t left yet is simple: Do not travel for anyone but yourself. Put yourself in positions that require you to leave your comfort zone, for personal growth is impossible without doing so. Self actualization is an ever lasting journey- but every journey requires a first step. Take yours.
B. Francis
BFrancis@breakroomdaily.com