The Relentless Traveler

One year ago, almost exactly, I stepped foot on my seventh continent and I was overwhelmed with emotion. Truly overwhelmed. I felt proud of my accomplishment, nostalgic about the places I had been, excited for the journey ahead, and just pure, simple joy. But what I didn’t feel was a sense of calm or completion. In fact, almost as quickly as I stepped foot on Tanzanian soil, I realized that this wasn’t the completion of a lifelong goal, but rather the start of a new adventure. I realized that I will never be “done”. And my thirst for travel cannot be quenched. Because travel isn’t about a goal for me; it’s the very lens I take on life. It’s the way I define who I am. It’s the thing that motivates me every single day. It’s my obsession. I can’t imagine what my life would be without planning for an upcoming trip. I can’t imagine what kind of void I would feel if I didn’t have a list as long as I am tall of all the places I want to go and the things I want to do. And I can’t imagine what my bank account would look like if I wasn’t constantly putting it toward my latest trip.

But my travel obsession has often called many of my life’s priorities into question— specifically, when I’ll “finally settle down”. And I’ve always hated that notion. What does settling down even mean? And why is it important? Does it mean accepting life as I get older and the required responsibilities ahead? Does it mean being content with where I am and what I’m doing? Does it mean buying a house? Does it mean having kids? And why isn’t it possible to still travel the world and have these things, if I so choose?

Because the fact of the matter is, I hope I never settle down. I hope that I always keep my explorer’s heart and I hope I pass that on to my kids one day. I hope that I take my family on crazy adventures. And I hope I continue to take adventures of my own. I hope that I keep my fearlessness and push myself to do things I previously didn’t think was possible. I hope that I’m never done, no matter how complicated life gets or how many responsibilities I have.

It won’t be easy. But it will sure as hell be fun. Because this world is way too big and beautiful to call it quits.

And that’s why my latest tattoo quite literally represents my explorer’s heart: seven birds for seven continents reached, but always always miles to go.

Achievement, Achievement Ink, Tattoos, Travel