When I Grow Up I Want to be an Explorer

When is the last time you made a discovery that completely changed the way you viewed the world?

Photos by Amy and a genius post from Wandering Earl 

Yesterday? Last month? 2 years ago?

Chances are it doesn’t happen very frequently these days. At least not as frequently as when we were children, exploring with complete awe, curiosity and open-mindedness, everything we came into contact with.

California

But as we age, we lose our desire for discovery, and more importantly, we lose the benefits of such exploration. We start to believe that we already have all of the information we need to shape our world views and form our opinions.

Unfortunately, without continued personal exploration, we often 

end up basing our world views on the biased thoughts and beliefs of others. As a a result, we find ourselves hating and fearing people who live on the other side of the planet simply because we are told to do so, even though we don’t really know anything at all about those people.
Libya

Recently, I began thinking about what has led me to spend the past ten years constantly wandering around the globe. While it may appear that I’m simply addicted to travel, I realized that I am actually addicted to exploration and discovery, just as I was when I was a kid. 

Traveling to me has much less to do with the name of the country I am visiting than it does with the opportunity to interact with people I would ordinarily never come into contact with.

The goal of my explorations is to actively pursue, and be challenged by, a first-hand education through cultural immersion and ordinary human interactions. 

If my beliefs are not constantly tested and re-shaped, then I am at serious risk of allowing the hatred, the fear and the negativity to continue in this world unchecked. However, if I can fill my life with new discoveries about people and places that I admit I know nothing about, then I can play a role in promoting respect, equality, and the value of diversity.
Jordan

It is what being a global citizen is all about.

When we discover for ourselves, we constantly experience eye-opening moments of wonder, such as, “Wow! These people actually are not evil.” or “Wow! This place is not at all what I thought.” And it is such discoveries that help to dissolve harmful misunderstandings, destroy false assumptions and in turn, ever so slowly, change the world for the better.

So, why have we lost our desire for exploration over the years?

Perhaps it has become too inconvenient or troublesome to spend time searching for first-hand knowledge. It is without a doubt much easier to take a few tidbits of information we hear on the news or read online, piece it all together and create an entire world view out of them.

Libya

But exploration really isn’t so inconvenient. And although the term is often associated with extensive world travel, modern exploration can take place within your own home, town or region.

Speak to people you would not ordinarily come into contact with, learn about a culture or country you know nothing about or become an email pen pal with someone in a far away land.

I firmly believe that being a global citizen is a frame of mind, not a passport full of stamps. And whether you take the traveling or non-traveling approach, one thing is definitely guaranteed – exploration is exhilarating! It involves a child-like curiosity and genuine addiction to personally discovering what lies beyond the horizon. This is a far more rewarding method of understanding the world than simply assuming we already know what’s out there.

I hope we will all consider becoming explorers once again!

What about you?

     Paris

Crete

 Crete

Are you in touch with your child-like spirit of adventure? Do you still explore?

Swiss Alps