This past month, I spent 15 days in Oregon.
My family recently moved across the united states while I remained in Kansas. Typically, for the holidays I hopped on a plane to visit them. The things I learned on that trip were inspiring to say the least.
You don't need someone to go everywhere with you.
I think most of the time, when you hear people complaining about traveling it's because of two things. The first being, "Well, I don't really have anyone to travel with, and I don't want to go alone." Yes, traveling with people is GREAT, and can be a lot of fun. It can also be a buzzkill. Traveling alone means you can do whatever you want, on your schedule. You don't have to listen to anyone complaining because they didn't want to do that, or rushing you through whatever you're doing. It's wonderful. Silence can be beautiful too. Especially up high in the mountains.
You don't need a boatload of cash.
Nearly the entire time I was off adventuring, I was on a "broke college kid budget." The other excuse you typically hear from people is that they don't have enough money to adventure. Up until my trip, I used to be one of those people. I just got in the car, and drove to an unknown destination. It was the best trip of my life. I drove to the top of a mountain one day to some cool caves. Or a little town 15 miles out of Grants Pass, and met cool people, explored the most adorable shops, and was absolutely in awe of the beauty in the world. All I paid for was gas. I did stop in some little cafe's and bought lunch a couple days, but I also brought snacks and sandwiches for some meals. Just because you aren't made of money doesn't mean you can't go on an adventure. You'd be surprised of some of the destinations that may be near you and free of charge!
You find value in exploring the unknown.
If you asked me what my plan was when I went to Oregon, I had no idea. Other than spending time with my family, I had zero plan of what I would do while they were working or in school. Until that very moment. I grabbed my car keys, got in the car, and just turned on random streets. I'd see a sign for a path, or random destination and just go. I had no idea where I was going or what I was doing, and I found beautiful places. I explored the Oregon Caves one day, drove to Medford, drove down some random street and just took random turns until I was ready to drive back to Grant's Pass. On the weekend, we all got up and road tripped to the Redwood Forest in California, and up the coast to Bandon, Oregon. Then, for my brothers birthday, I surprised them and took them to the Trampoline park in Medford. (Which did cost money, but it was cheap and I regret nothing.)
Put down your technology.
Man, I can't express this enough. The world is SO beautiful. Put down your laptop, your cellphone, video games, or whatever has you occupied and go outside. Listen to the rain on all the different things. Listen to the water trickle down a river, pond, or waterfall. Listen to the birds chirping or the children playing. We miss out on so many beautiful things every day because we're so wrapped up in our own little worlds. It's OK to take pictures, but put down your technology and live. Talk to people. You meet and have fantastic conversations with people if you give them a chance. Which leads me to my next point...
Talk to people.
Once you decide to put down your phone and live a little, you realize all of what you miss out on. While in Oregon adventuring, I had several conversations with all sorts of different people. Whether that was my barista's at Dutch Brothers, (the BEST coffee shop ever), the people/owners of several boutiques I explored, or random people on my several different adventures, each of them had a story. It was so incredibly interesting to hear about their different paths. Everyone is on their own journey, and that's so beautiful to learn about! (It can even be inspiring.)
You learn different cultures.
OK, let's be real. Kansas natives are WAY different from Oregon natives. If you think Kansas people are nice, go to Oregon and prepare to be swept off your feet. They smile, wave, have full-on conversations with you, and you won't have any idea who they are. It's awesome. Granted, not everyone is like that, but the majority of the people I encountered were so nice and made me feel at home. Their way of life is cool to learn. When you travel, you learn to be open-minded and take it all in. It truly changes how you relate to the world and others.
Traveling humbles you.
To me, this is one of the coolest parts. When you're at home, living your day to day life, you can get caught up in everything going on directly in your life. When you travel, you take a step out of your everyday life, and see what's going on in the world. This made me realize how little I know about the world around me. Traveling teaches you to let go of the perceived concept of control, and to look at the bigger picture. Believe it or not, the world isn't about just you.
....it's also very empowering.
Although traveling humbles you, it can inspire and empower you as well. Through all of your different adventures. For me, it inspired me to do more, and be more. I want to get out of my comfort zone and do more, instead of staying in my shell. Sometimes I really really want to do something, and the little voice inside me tells me that I can't or I'm not good enough. It's time to shut that voice off and shoot for the moon.
Enjoy the moment.
Traveling can also sometimes make you incredibly grateful for everything that you have. While it's fun to adventure, I missed my friends and family back home. I was eager to spend time with my family and enjoyed it more because of the things I learned while adventuring. Savor the relationships you have. Pour into them, and don't forget to love every moment.
