Life Lessons on The Road

 

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road, to not go all the way, and not starting at all!  And, I can add another, not looking at what is right in front of you.

There are so many life lessons to be learned from traveling, and since I have just returned from fulfilling a bucket list item and sharing it with a long time BFF, I figured I have some sharing to do with others.

 

There is nothing like taking a step out of your comfort zone to make you realize that you are a newbie to life no matter what your age.  There are so many things to learn, like how to maneuver your bike down famous trails in mountain biking's mecca-Moab-the premier mountain destination on the planet!  Wherever you go you make friends, and you are never alone.  All it takes is to be the first to smile, and make an effort to join in their celebrations or ask about their lives.  You may not see these folks again, and that's ok. You learn to enjoy transient relationships, because they bring the experiences of others to your journey and perhaps a simple promise to look them up when you visit the area again.   Whether you are staring at a menu or meeting new people, or trying something for the first time, it is all about getting yourself into situations and turning them into amazing experiences and realizing there are no "mistakes'!   Ok, maybe don't eat anything you wouldn't step on in your bare feet, but go have some fun. Read up on the adventure you are about to embark upon, and when something goes off track to you can turn it into something exciting and learn from that too!

 

Every time I travel, and it is not often, but, I  find that I view my life from the outside and find solutions or changes that I never would have seen if I had not gotten away from my everyday life.  As I rode my bike on the trails on Moab and hiked the canyon walls of the Grand Canyon, I reminded myself to stop and look up.  As we live our lives, we keep our heads down and we keep on keepin on - any problems we have, we are in them.  I have found when I travel, I get outside of them slightly.  We always have solutions for other peoples problems but struggle with our own.  That is because we are IN our problems and don't lift our heads and thus can't find solutions to something we are inside of.   You begin to understand a different way of being.  You see everyone differently, that they all have stories. You overlook faults and you open up your eyes to look at life you never knew existed.

 

There is nothing like living amongst people from other cultures to make you understand why people do what they do.  Other ideas, and moral codes and art and religion came from somewhere, each culture has its treasures, so dig them up and enjoy them.  Of all the benefits of traveling, I think that people are our most treasured gifts. Go meet them. Develop a love for travelling and other cultures, religions and lifestyles.