Why Are you Doing this?!

(My corny way of shedding light on the issue, this was taken in Montgomery NY)

A few months ago I was just like many other people my age; working long hours, making good money, and having a decent time, just like my parents, teachers and even some mentors had coached me to do. But there came a point that I realized two very important things.

1. That the sales job I had, I did not want to do for the rest of my life.
2. That I was working 12 hour days. Making Great money with NO TIME TO SPEND IT!

And then I had a conversation with Patrick Maher, the brother of a friend and someone I look up to. I was explaining to Pat how I had this uncontrollable itch to travel, to actually see the world up close, rather than in pictures taken by others, and that I had to scratch it. Yes I can see what the Grand Canyon looks like in pictures, but I have no idea how enormous it truly is and how humbling it must be to stand in front of such a natural beauty. Pat with all his wisdom guided me instantly toward the book The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. Have you ever had a moment where the words, views, and heart of someone were so much like yours that they instantly moved you? This book did that for me. If you have not read it and are feeling similar to me I suggest you pick it up immediately. It spoke directly to me, and I hope it can do the same for you. It doesn’t say “DO THIS AND YOU WILL BE HAPPY” but it talks about taking risks and following dreams.
I see and read articles about how kids in the US feel as if they are “Stuck in a Rut” “their lives are so boring” but the overwhelming stigma of having a secure job in this type of economy stops people from doing what they truly want to. Believe me I’ve already heard All the protestors. “YOU’RE CRAZY” “THIS IS STUPID” “WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS” it’s simple

1. Yes I am crazy. But I honestly don’t mind it. I have a different way of at looking at things and I see now how quality is just as important as quantity of life. If you look at Galileo, Columbus, and Da Vinci they were all considered to be CRAZY at one point or another. No one average has done anything great or monumental.
2. This is stupid!? I think it’s funny that most of the people, who tell me this also, at times in the same breath, tell me how they wanted to do the same thing or wish they could have done the same thing. So what is stupid? That I’m going to actually do it? That I wasn’t scared of that Chicken Little inside me. I think the stupid thing is to discourage someone from pursuing their dreams.
3. And the overwhelming question Why would you do this? I strongly believe that "the man of tomorrow is forged by his battles today" (I took this from Smallville great show). Not only do I want to see my country, which if you take a moment and look is rich with history and life, but I would like the opportunity to test myself. I think during this trip I will face certain things that will help me when I do choose to re-enter the work force. Mark Jenkins Says it best~~

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure - self-determined, self-motivated, often risky - forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind - and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.”

I don’t claim to know much but some advice that has worked for me is, if where you are right now is not going to get you to where you want to be, then you may be wasting time and should start putting together a plan to get there. I am not telling you to quit your job, leave school or uproot everything. But sitting down and figuring out the different avenues that will get you to your ultimate goal is the first step.

One Mile at a Time