Travel More, Buy Less
"Once a year, go someplace you've never been before." - Dalai Lama
Back during my half-decade focus of operating the World's First Multi-Media Manifestation Portal (summary here)...
I came across, as you might suspect, some interesting souls — i.e., saints, sages and spiritually-minded wise folks... who had a thing or two to say about life and living.
One such gentleman was Edwin Harkness Spina; author of Mystic Warrior among other profound books.
What he had to say about travel still resonates with me:
“By traveling, you can consciously act to discover differences that have the potential to create new perspectives for you, as well as seed new ideas in others.
“Travel can be an accelerated learning course, in which you are motivated to expand and modify your previous assumptions about life, including the people, places and events you’re experiencing at any given moment.”
That sentiment rang true for us, last week, when we serendipitously came across a 4th generation Hispanic American named Carlos.
Carlos, living in Pacific Grove, knows how to take care of "tourists" who need a push to get out and explore unique places... on e-bikes!
A lovely Indian man, running an Inn in Carmel-by-the-Sea, asked me this:
"Do you like house candy? Do you like looking at golf courses? Well, what about a coastline to die for?"
I told him I could skip the die for part and, hey sure... what do you have in mind?
"Call Carlos. He'll set you up with a custom biking experience on 17-mile drive."
This map somewhat shows that area:
So, in my gal's Prius, we met Carlos at the Pebble Beach Lodge (that alone warrants another story, for another time).
After taking in the gorgeousness of that place alone, Carlos set us up with these black beauties:
And off we went, easily going 20 mph, following the red-yellow lined road to see some incredible points of interests.
From the Lone Cypress (the iconic tree which has been the logo for Pebble Beach Resorts since 1919)... to... Bird Rock (a wildlife hub buzzing with birds, harbor seals and barking sea lions).... to.. Spanish Bay Beach (look at this surreal clip I took at the golf course there).
The point of sharing this recent personal revelry and reminiscing?
It's that the best awakening experiences in life, I have found, tend to come from ‘unplanned travel’ — or what I like to affectionately describe as unintentionally getting lost while finding new parts of ourselves (inspiration here).
Maybe travel photography is my new hobby. I don't know. But I seem to enjoy it as I'm lost in the moment of capturing nature and outdoor scenery in its purest of presence.
Like this coastline just off the 18th green at Pebble Beach:
Travel, even if it's just an improv excursion while you're in work mode, keeps you from giving up. It prevents personal capitulation. It can shatter nihilistic beliefs.
"But the world is going to shit!" - mhmm
"Don't you know we're about to be on pure digital money." - Ok
"I have to prepare for coming food shortages." - Prepare away.
Great! Think that. Do that.
But, this is my friendly reminder to understand that none of that, in the end, will make your life better. Truly, it won't!
What will is getting out of any self-imposed paranoia of the unknown. Taking risks. Making chances. Exploring uncomfortable opportunities.
What will is understanding that you have no frickin control if the world ends or doesn't end.
What you do have control over is your current mindset... and... your sense of adventure.
So, on that note...
I'll leave you with a TED Talk by Luis Vargas.
Luis has spent over two decades in the adventure travel space. His message to brands like Disney and REI has, essentially, been this:
Create meaningful experience-based businesses. And do it by helping people discover themselves through a passport full of stamps rather than a house full of stuff.
May the above inspire you.
May your day be filled with curiosity and wonder.