“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” – Helen Keller

Drop those excuses – commit to adventure

I make excuses to not travel. I’m busy. It costs too much. I don’t know where to go. While studying I cannot get up and go. How? I’ve got commitments. I can’t think of a time when I won’t have any commitments, does this mean that my traveling days are limited? I hope not.

I’m very fortunate to be studying and living in the beautiful city of Cape Town, South Africa. Table Mountain, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, Kirstenbosch Gardens and the beautiful wine routes of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek all situated within a couple of hours. When the weather really turns up these places are magnificent places to learn, engage with people and experience a reality different to my own. Heck, even if the weather doesn’t turn up, running along the coast in the rain is exhilarating to say the least. It just takes a commitment to adventure and excitement to get you out of your comfort zone or to overcome your excuses.

If adventure is something that you’re passionate about, then commit yourself to your passions. Wen feel the urge to get up and go for a hike in the nearest mountain trail or even just a walk around your neighbourhood: do it, you don’t know what you might learn about your community, about yourself or even meet someone just as inquisitive as you. Find the beautiful places in your vicinity and commit to discovering what treasures are hidden there. Put on your running shoes and venture into the uncomfortable beauty of your environment.

“Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience” – Francis Bacon

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

A picture is worth a thousand words…

The world is both big and small at the same time. There are so many places to go and people to see that it seems so daunting to consider the amount of time that would be required to be able to fit it all in. From mountains in need of conquering, deserts begging to be traversed, jungles aching for new paths, to rivers patiently waiting to be parted with an oar. There’s so much to do, so many adventures to experience. It is daunting.

They say the same is true of blogging. There’s so much to write about, and yet so much content already out there that your words will be lost like the small city of Pushkar, India. It is daunting to think that your words or work will be put out there to be criticised or even worse, no one actually ever sees it. Yet people do it anyway. People share their stories and experiences in a daunting space.

I to wish to merge those two daunting tasks into one spot. From my own travel experiences and stories, to my everyday journey. Capturing the beauty of the world out there and also the beauty of the people I have encountered. Sharing these stories and experiences helps me to reflect on the roads I have travelled and also to encourage and inspire others, like me or not like me, to reflect on their own stories and to share them with the world.

The world is both big and small at the same time. Many different people with different stories, all contributing to the beauty and the wonder that is out there waiting to be discovered. Join me in the journey and adventure of world discovery and self-discovery.