“We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.” 

The above quote comes from Anglo-French writer and historian Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc and rings true to the yearning and burning in my soul when it comes to traveling. There is energy that awakens in me when venturing somewhere new, learning from the lives of others that may be different than mine, and journeying down an uncharted path to see what is around the corner.

Travel broadens the perspective of your own life when you get back to the daily hamster wheel that we all face with working in the United States of America. Exploration has allowed me to see the slower pace of life that others live, the creativity that shines in other communities, the hardships that others go through, and the culinary surprises that emerge beyond a corporate food chain. Here’s the deal. I will work my ass off and give my 110% when I am present and accounted for. However, I strive for working to live and NOT living to work. I was lucky to have parents who took our family on yearly vacations from a very young age. These memories and smiles were ingrained me and will continue to the day I die. This is more important to me.

Now let’s talk reasons I have heard why people especially in the USA do not travel. Sure… that money could be spent on a house instead of renting, a better entertainment system, a fancier car, season tickets to a local sporting team, or *cough cough* retirement. I get it. However, I choose to explore and live my life now. It may be down the street to visit a park I haven’t visited, an hour away to Weston, Missouri to visit a winery or it may be somewhere on the other side of the globe to check a destination off the bucket list. 

The other thing I hear often is that it is too expensive and stressful to travel. Pardon my French, but I call bullshit. Part of the reason for starting this blog was to share stories of how I have been able to successfully conquer cities by living large and spontaneously planning my experiences for yourself or with your own families. When I look back at all the places I have been, I have no regrets to what I was able to do and am happy with the stones I was able to turn over. I can assure you that it is possible to feel like you are having and maximizing a first-class experience with an average person’s salary.

I look forward to sharing specific memories and stories from the places I have been in the entries to come from these short getaways. I do not have the luxury of being able to be gone for a month or have a full-time traveling gig like some bloggers. So these are things that YOU can execute with enough planning… once we are all out of quarantine and can travel properly, of course.

Below are a few of my favorite photos taken over the years from my own experiences. I am by NO means a professional photographer, but have always thought these turned out pretty cool. Let me know if there is a particular location you would like to dive in to with my first destination study.

I leave you now with one more travel quote. This one comes from St. Augustine of Hippo, a Catholic bishop and theologian, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” I hope it inspires you in some way, and if not… well cheers!

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