I recently stumbled across this 10 trips you need to take in your 20’s video on buzzfeed. Now, I’ve read a lot of Top 10 things to do and The 25 most badass activities because #YOLO! articles. Most are enjoyable and I feel like one or two on each list might be fun but then I see a cute cat on reddit and forget about them. I’ve gotta say, Henry Goldman hit the nail on the head with this list. Take the 2 minutes to watch the video and be inspired by everything there is to discover out in the “real world” but don’t forget to come back and finish reading!
Now’s the time tweet
pack your bag tweet
and GO! tweet
The closing remarks hit home for me. Could be the fact that I just came back from a camping trip to the middle of nowhere and am about to embark on my Southeast Asian journey. The decision to up and leave everything to go to the other side of the world for a year (or more) is daunting. Hell, its downright scary! Then I think about all of the amazing experiences I will have and the nervous butterflies turn into excitement; just like when you’re sitting in the front car of a roller coaster. You hover at the top of the first massive hill for a split second while the second half of your car makes it over the top and then you plunge into the wildest ride you’ve ever had. That anticipation eats at me every day and then I second guess whether this is the right move. But, when I boil it all down I think back to middle school English class where we watched Dead Poet’s Society. That movie changed my outlook on life, particularly when Robin Williams explains Carpe Diem. At the time I was more interested in Carpe Noctem but the idea is the same.
You may not like to travel or want to do the trips he suggests. Personally I’d call you crazy to dislike all 10 but whatever it is dangling in front of you right now grab it. Take the first step towards the rest of your life with no regrets! It could be updating that resume to get a new awesome job or finally asking the boy/girl you’ve seen from across the coffee shop to sit next to you and maybe even ask them to dinner or perhaps you dream of traveling to another country to live and work. Whatever it is that you want, you are the only person who can make it happen. So get out there and seize the day!
I’m sure that I’ll encounter bumps along my journey; I’ll even stumble and fall a few times but I promise you that I will get up, dust myself off and keep going. I leave in 25 days and have never been so simultaneously scared and excited in my life. I hope that you take the time to do whatever it is that scares and excites you as much as this does for me!
