The Decision to Travel

I feel blessed to have grown up in a family that traveled.  Traveling created the means to explore.  We would make the road trip from So Cal up I-5 to Oregon/Washington or across the desert on I-15 to Wyoming alternating family visits.  The old Ford Fairlane with the car top carrier had many road miles before we upgraded to the Station Wagon.  In addition to the interstate treks, the family camping trips to the mountains, beaches, and deserts of Southern California left many great and special memories that shaped my outlook on the world.

I would safely say that the education I got “playing” outdoors over the years taught me as much or more about life than all my formal education combined which includes a bachelor’s and master’s degree and several years of post-graduate level military education.   I can’t tell you much about the War of 1812 but I can describe exactly how I felt the first time I saw the Milky Way in it’s full glory at a roadside turn-out in the Wind River Canyon in Wyoming nearly 40 years ago.  Experience is one of our greatest teachers and the ability to Experience the Outdoors is a precious gift we have available to us.

Our family wasn’t wealthy but figured out ways to travel affordably.  Most importantly, my parents made the decision that travel and getting outdoors was important and shared that value with us.  Gayla and I have enjoyed the travel we have done over the years with our kids creating some of our most precious memories, some trips no further than across town to a local park.  The greatest gift we have given them is the desire to explore life, a legacy I am confident will be passed on!

One of the inspirations for this forum is Joshua Becker’s “Becoming Minimalist“.  His rational approach to creating meaningful experiences in life rather than accumulating unnecessary stuff hits the nail on the head.  While we have not reached that point of minimalist nirvana in life, we are on that train taking steps in the right direction…and continuing the DECISION TO TRAVEL!

What’s on your bucket list?