Boulder, CO

When we left off last time, I briefly mentioned my plans to travel around the world, seeking adventures big and small.  While it didn’t feature prominently in my first post, it is, in fact one of the main reasons we’re here.  I mean, if I was just going to babble on about my journey of self discovery, I’m sure we’d both get bored pretty quickly. It’s called The Adventures of Brian, so you’re probably not here for my quick wit and sarcastic wisdom.

You know that saying be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it? I’d like to offer up a minor amendment.  Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.  Unless you are wishing for an around-the-fucking-world-adventure, then throw caution to the wind and just go for it.

So I did.  And I am.

Another tidbit about me: I have a wanderer’s heart.  My feet, like my mind, have a tendency to wander off.  To seek and explore, always wanting to know what’s over there, or curious what’s around that next bend.  I’ll spend hours walking, wandering, exploring until my feet are blistered and swollen, and my legs are jelly. And as those with the wanderlust gene know, it’s not about going on a trip – it is about discovering someplace new, finding adventure wherever you are.  It’s a backpack, a map and a train ticket, but no plans, expectations or schedule.  It is freedom, an open mind and a smile that just won’t go away.

Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

– Ralph Wanderlust Emerson*

This past year has been one of the best of my life.  Leaving behind nearly all my stuff, I packed up my car, hit the road and didn’t look back. I don’t have a lease, and I’m not sure where I’ll be sleeping two weeks from now. I’ve wandered and explored – taken road trips through the west and southwest, visited numerous national parks, walked barefoot on sacred ground, spent countless nights under the stars. I’ve enjoyed more time with friends and family in the last year than in the previous 10 years combined. I’ve checked things off my Bucket List, though in truth it is now longer than it was when I began. I’ve grown accustom to every conversation starting with: where are you now? 

And this past year has been perhaps the hardest of my life. It has been painful. More painful and challenging than I care to recall. Breaking habits is hard. Letting go is hard. Authenticity and vulnerability are fucking scary. We take comfort in the familiar – even when it doesn’t make us happy – because it is familiar and known. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know. It is human nature; a survival instinct baked into our DNA.

I’ve soaked in these experiences, enjoyed the adventures, felt true gut-wrenching, throat-burning pain, and mind-boggling, soul-quenching peace and joy. I lived and experienced every moment – the good, the bad and everything in between.

And in moments of quiet, as I sat and reflected, my heart would start to wander… my eyes would lift to the horizon and my mind would begin to drift. I yearned to go further. To take this show over seas.  To go, unrestrained and unbounded.

Please, please let there still be National Parks when I return.

– me

I think I was addicted to normal life. The comfort and safety of my house, my loved ones, my job, my stuff. As much as I knew I needed something different in my heart, I could not bring myself to let go of what I had. To pursue my dreams would require blowing up my life.  In my case, the universe provided the dynamite (and the match), because in all honesty, I wasn’t strong enough to do it on my own. All I did was choose to leave it in pieces on the ground and walk away.

Recovering from addiction is challenging, but I was lucky – the mind-reading algorithms at Facebook did their job and offered up just what I needed: a 12-step program.  It’s called Remote Year.

These are the not advertisements you’re looking for

– Obi AdWords Kenobi*

In October I leave for a year-long journey around the world.  I’m joining a program called Remote Year where 75 or so fellow travelers and I will spend a month in 12 cities around the globe.  If you want to see what it’s all about (and probably get jealous out of your mind), check out this video created by an alumni of the program. Not sure about you, but watching it gives me chills. My group is called Mångata, which means The road-like reflection of moonlight on water.  I’m not clever enough to come up with an insightful analogy here, so let’s just pause and look at the pretty picture.

Pay no attention to the amount of light that tiny sliver of moon is casting on the water.

– inner critic

And so we finally get to the point.  I hope to use this blog to document my journeys and adventures as I travel the world – for the next year, and beyond.  My plans don’t end when Mångata finishes.  In my mind it is the beginning.  A glimpse into a different way of living, the golden ticket, an invitation into a community of like-minded wanderers. A first step off the path, chasing my heart into the wild unknown.

So wish, throw caution to the wind and step into the adventure of a lifetime. Or just follow along here. Whatever works for you.

* Again, I’m not great with middle names, but pretty sure these are right.