When I Grow Up, I Want to Be an Explorer!
February 10, 2010
Please Note: This is a guest post by my most adventurous friend, Wandering Earl.
When is the last time you made a discovery that completely changed the way you viewed the world?
Whether it was yesterday, last month or two 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.
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.
How can we justify all of this negativity without viewing the world through the eyes of others?
How can we support wars that take place for reasons that we truly do not understand? How can we ignore human rights abuses in order to have our store shelves stocked with cheaper goods?
We can’t. Yet we do.
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.
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.
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.
In fact, you’ll often find the difference in results between the two methods to be astonishingly different. And when given a choice between blind-belief, developed more by the need for belief than from true experience, or first-hand knowledge resulting from direct interactions, the choice to me seems downright obvious.
With that in mind, I hope we will all consider becoming explorers once again!
What about you?
Are you in touch with your child-like spirit of adventure? Do you still explore?
Note From Lisis: If you haven’t met Earl, consider visiting his blog, Wandering Earl, so you can do what I do: travel vicariously through him!
Related posts:
- 5 Awesome Things I’d Like To Share
- Jackie and Heidi: A Tale of Unlikely Companions
- Seth Godin Answers My Five Burning Questions
- Adventure: Lessons From Niagara Falls
- Adventure: How to Get From Fear to Faith
Posted in Life, Real Life Gurus, Spirit of Adventure, helping others, travel
content rss
Hi Earl,
I agree with what you said. Exploring is not using Internet Explorer or Firefox to do a Google or Wiki search. It’s about going into countries that you’re aren’t familiar with.
I also want to say that even staying month or two in a country isn’t going to give you that much knowledge about the people and culture. It takes years and so if you want to get a general idea of a culture or country stay a couple of months, if you want to get a much more intimate knowledge you’re going to need to stay there years.
Gordie´s last blog ..Carrots, Sticks And True Motivation.
Gordie, I completely agree! I used to love to travel for a week or two to different destinations. But I soon realized, I was only skimming the surface… and the “touristy” surface at that. Lately, my family and I move to a new location every year or two so that we can truly become part of each community we live in, and discover each area as “locals”. It’s been an amazing experience!
Hey Gordie! I do agree, it can take a long time to really understand (or even begin to understand) a particular culture or country and long stints in foreign lands are certainly as valuable an education as a person can receive. Although, since that’s not always an option, I’ll always believe that even a week of open-minded, first-hand exploration provides more value than any other method of learning about a particular culture or region of the world.
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com!
I LOVE the concept of “being a global citizen”. I tend to think that highly evolved societies have NO boundaries… geographical or otherwise. It is one connected and continuous piece of land from here to everywhere else!
I have an affinity for travel…especially in rural towns and places. I may have to think about travel and see what project i can start in that respect. BUT FIRST my commitment to traveling “becoz i want to meet people and know other cultures” must be tested by how much i am willing to connect with my wife, my son, my neighbor and the people around me.
Christopher Kabamba´s last blog ..Why Commandments are NOT for Conscious and Intelligent Beings
Hi Christopher – Thank you for your comment!
Being a global citizen definitely starts with how you relate to the people around you. If we can’t connect with and learn from our own families and neighbors, it’s going to be a major challenge to connect with people on the other side of the planet!
And I think that is a significant aspect of being a global citizen – realizing that every interaction and relationship is important, not just those we have while traveling.
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com!
Do I still explore? I do. But every once in awhile I need a solid reminder to maintain the explorer’s spirit. Case in point. My staff in Cambodia often heat small glass jars and scorch their skin to alleviate various aches and pains. This practice leaves angry red circles that temporarily brands the skin. The first time I witnessed this practice I was horrified. HORRIFIED. I immediately ran to find the medical kit and attempted Advil persuasion.
My staff just looked at me with pity. Like I knew not what I was missing. After a bit, I realized I didn’t know. I reeled in my assumptions about barbarism and lack of sophistication. My staff swears by the effectiveness of the glass jar sear. I’ve not yet given it a try, but the next time I have a headache…
After all, the fried tarantulas weren’t half bad. I’m game for anything once.
Hi Nelia – I’ll be the first to admit that I did not enjoy the fried tarantulas of Cambodia!! That’s one of those things I’ve tried once and once only!
It is too easy to instinctively view other cultures and their practices with a ‘we know best’ perspective. Even the most open-minded will find themselves shocked and horrified from time to time, as in your excellent example above.
But the difference lies with those who will continue to insist that the glass jar sear method is barbaric and those who become willing to try it out.
And I would be very interested in hearing how it turns out when you give it a shot!
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com!
You’re my hero, Earl. When I grow up, can I be like *you*?
Jay Schryer´s last blog ..The P.I.T.A. Scale, and How it Will Change Your Life
Hey Jay! I truly appreciate your comment. Although, your presence as an active member of this wonderful community leads me to believe that a lot of people out there would love to be like you!
Hey Earl and Lisis!
Loved this and great to see Earl here.:) I loved what you said about it being a frame of mind rather than a passport full of stamps. I have done a lot of travelling but not so much in the last few years, though I am always going to new places and trying new things in the UK which is awesome too.
Jen
Hey there Jen! That is exactly what I’m talking about – going out and exploring new places, even right at home. There is so much around us at all times that can challenge us, teach us and help make sure that we don’t miss out on those benefits of personal discovery. We don’t need to get on a plane to make it happen!
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com!
Inspiring post! You’ve reminded me to get out of my head and experience things more. Thanks, that’s wonderful
I love exploration myself… I’ve been called to it for years. For now I’m happy where I am, I don’t know how long, but I expect in a year, maybe two, I’ll be away to find a new place to live, new people to love and a new experience to explore.
Andrew
Hi Andrew – Thank you so much for commenting and I’m always excited to hear of others who are drawn to exploration as well! As Jen just showed above, exploration doesn’t require a drastic change in environment.
And with the right mindset, even our ordinary, everyday interactions and happenings can be transformed into infinitely more rewarding and positive experiences.
But when you do get that urge in a year or two to put yourself in a new place, it seems you’ll be prepared to welcome the challenges and benefits that will come your way!
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com!
[...] hope you’ll take a few minutes to wander over, read my post and if you’re not familiar with the site, explore the wealth of inspirational information [...]
Thank you so much Lisis for this guest post opportunity! As I hope you know already, I couldn’t have made it this far with my blog and several of my current goals without having come across your site a few months ago.
And a special thank you to the entire QuestForBalance.com community, as I am continuously left in awe at the incredibly positive and inspirational environment you have all helped create on this site!
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com!
Hey, Earl! Thanks so much for sharing your story of adventure and exploration with us. You know it’s a topic that is near and dear to my heart, as my dad was quite the explorer himself. I’m sure your story will inspire others to cultivate their own spirit of adventure and go create some awesome memories!!
Take field trips. The bandwidth of the world is greater than that of your TV, or the Internet, or even a totally immersive, interactive, dynamically rendered, object-oriented, real-time, computer graphic-simulated environment.
Every time i read those lines from Bruce Mau’s Incomplete Manifesto for Growth, i think to myself what it is i have to do about it. Maybe it’s high time i begun taking road trips in my backyard for a start
Christopher Kabamba´s last blog ..Why Commandments are NOT for Conscious and Intelligent Beings
I’m not sure it could be said any better.
At the end of the day, the benefits of TV or computers simply cannot compare to the benefits of first-hand life experiences. That should go without saying. I say go for those road trips! I’ve found that even an hour-long excursion to a new part of town or a simple walk down the road has plenty to offer if you’re in the right frame of mind…
Thanks for sharing those lines Christopher!
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com!
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by Serene_Balance: When I Grow Up, I Want to Be an Explorer! http://su.pr/4q8hFH...
What a cool philosophy! Also, the philosophy of exploration is not only important to avoid negativity towards others, but also for the simple fact that it is fun, exciting, and educational. Through new experiences, we grow and evolve. Another benefit is that from all of your travels, you probably could teach others from all that you have learned!
lena´s last blog ..Haiku: Breath
Hey Lena – Thank you for commenting on the post! You definitely brought up an excellent point – exploration shouldn’t be considered only as a serious and difficult task. It should be as fun and enjoyable as possible if we want to get the most out of it. And if we aren’t excited about what we’re doing, whether it is exploration or anything else, then we may need to rethink our ways.
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com!
As usual, I appreciated the perspective of your post. This time though, I keep getting pulled back to the title. To me, “When I Grow Up, I Want to Be an Explorer” is another way of saying, “I don’t want to grow up”. That seems like a good thing. Unfortunately, we’re forced to grow up and subsequently go through a mental process of un-growing-up if we want to get back to that.
Kids have it right. I don’t think there’s any reason that necessitates losing that curiosity and desire for play. Socialization tends to convince us that such things are immature, but I call Shenanigans.
When I grow up… Wait. No way. Grown ups are boring!
Andrew MacPherson´s last blog ..Putting the Global Back in Global Expedition
Hey Andrew – Kids do have it right! And why we feel the need to force people to grow out of that curiosity is something I am far from understanding.
Being grown up sounds eerily serious to me – where’s the awe of life, the playfulness, the desire to discover? What is so wrong with all of those ‘immature’ things? I personally feel that most grown ups would benefit from having more of them in their life.
Shenanigans indeed!
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com!
For me, very simple: the older I get, the more expensive taking off to explore becomes. That simple.
However, I’m digging a lot deeper into my local neighbor hood. And that’s helping.
Dave Doolin´s last blog ..Pre-Writing Is Your Friend – With Benefits (Part 2)
Hi Dave – Thank you so much for reading my post!
Expense is definitely an important factor of being able to take off and explore the world. However, I do think that travel is often incorrectly labeled as expensive. Through a little creativity, my monthly expenses are typically less than half of what they would be if I was living back in the USA, even with visiting an average of 10 countries per year (and I’m not always traveling on the dirt-cheap). So traveling is actually saving me money.
But I love that you’re exploring your own local neighborhood. I think this often leads to a surprisingly rewarding level of discovery and experiences that many people miss out on despite it being right around the corner!
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com!
Hola Earl,
Lovely post. Your words really have me thinking today. It has taken me years to undo the pressures to grow up fast and in a specific way. We all have expectations placed upon us, some positive, others negative. Whatever the expectations, breaking out from beneath them is challenging, scary, and sometimes seemingly impossible.
I have been thinking lately about college, and how important it really is for life after age 22. In particular, I was thinking about whether or not I would want (or encourage or even push) my children (as yet unconceived!) to go to college. I knew intuitively that I would want them to go to college, as I did. But then I asked myself: “Why?” Is it so they can go on to be lawyers? No, it is because the choices I make now are much more informed than they used to be. If you think of college as a sampler of ideas, then it becomes a vast resource. But there are many ways to gain access to an array of ideas besides going to college.
I believe the most important ingredient for living is a truly open mind, yet that is the one thing many of us are trained against. I used to think I had an open mind, but I felt very trapped along a certain path, with specific goals, things to attain, hurdles to meet and conquer. Now I believe that an open mind is having the willingness to change: change my mind, change an attitude or a preconceived notion, and most importantly, change my path.
My mother (who has a Masters and a PhD, go figure) told me recently that she wished I was like Jane Austen’s Emma. I wrinkled up my brow and wondered why on earth she would want me to live in Victorian England with all the burdensome social customs and classist attitudes. I then pointed out to her that Jane Austen was more often using her strong, intellectual female characters to point out the flaws of that society, the constraints placed upon women who wanted more than a dowry and a wealthy husband. But I had to laugh about it too; my poor mother, who, instead of getting some imaginary fairy tale for me to live out, got an over-educated hippie daughter with a tattoo and a van, living in Mexico with a bunch of rescued doggies and no plans to go home!
Christopher McCandless is fast becoming my greatest role model. Not because he met a sad end and was made famous by Mr. Krakauer, but because he bucked his family’s expectations and made the life he wanted. He genuinely interacted with his world and became a part of it. And he was convinced of the value of his path because he knew what the professional career life would be like, from his parents and from his schooling, and he knew he didn’t want that.
I seek the willingness to pursue the life I want, rather than the life I have been expected to have. Travel has an important role for me: when I travel, I focus on providing the basic necessities in terms of food, sleep, and safety for myself and my dogs. This leaves me open for everything else I encounter. I am not burdened by material items, cocktail parties, job titles, and the other items that get in the way of happiness and true experience. And it is only when on the road that I have been able to be free of these burdens. So I guess for now I’ll stay on the road!
Hey Abigail – That was an absolutely beautiful comment! Thank you so much for sharing that with the community here.
These days, I’m not even sure if a truly open mind is even possible. Perhaps a better goal would be to have a ‘constantly opening mind’ as life is filled with endless moments that have the potential to challenge our beliefs and force us to rethink our views.
I am convinced that I could travel for another 30 years and still make discoveries that would require me to do exactly what you mentioned – change (my views, my path, etc).
And with travel, an open-mind is all we have after discarding layer after layer of the social customs and expectations that restrict our normal, everyday lives. When we are free from these weights, suddenly every small experience and interaction affects our lives more powerfully than ever before. At times it is frightening, at times is magical…but the most important thing is that it is always 100% real.
I’m happy to hear you’re staying on the road and plan to continue your adventure that is clearly changing your life in ways you may never have imagined before!
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com!
Hi Earl (and Lisis), as a fellow explorer I can totally appreciate what you’re saying here. Whilst I haven’t even scratched the surface of where I’d like to go and what I’d like to see, I’ve had the opportunity to go to some amazing places.
I’m an Aussie. We have it SO good here. The problem is, there are many people who don’t realise just HOW good we have it. I’d love to see a compulsory trip to a third world country be included in every school’s curriculum. I realise this is a complete pipe dream but imagine what a difference it would make to the world if all our privileged youth got to see how others live. Talk about building compassion, breaking down misbeliefs and growing tolerance!
Sami – Life, Laughs & Lemmings´s last blog ..Daisy List #80. Gold Class Movie Night
Hey Sami – If you think about it, it is almost absurd that we must work at developing compassion and tolerance as adults, instead of having those concepts instilled in us as children.
It seems that by the time we reach adulthood, most people are so accustomed to their way of life that it becomes natural to simply accept mis-beliefs and unfounded assumptions as absolute truths. The earlier we could get people to understand diversity, respect, tolerance and compassion, clearly the better off the world would be.
The fact that such an idea is labeled as a pipe dream without little hope for becoming reality is certainly a troubling and disappointing thought.
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com!
Hi Earl,
It is funny, my family says that I always dress up like a tourist, even when I am in my hometown! I guess it is because I think everyday is a great day to go outside and explore! =)
Thank you for sharing once again, and I look forward to reading your next post!!!
=)
Hi Elizabeth – I just tried to imagine myself growing up and treating every day as if I was a tourist who had just arrived in my hometown! Honestly, I think its a wonderful mindset to have and must surely lead to some rewarding experiences that we typically think aren’t possible in a place we know so well. Thank you so much for commenting!
Hi Earl,
I totally agree with everything you wrote. I have been to 5 of the 7 continents and am always amazed when I meet someone who has no desire to see anything outside of America. I also find it funny when people here complain about silly things like having to stand in line at a supermarket with 16 aisles of variety.
I have been in parts of the world where you were lucky to get two options of orange juice. And running water from the faucet is a blessing that we here take so much for granted.
One of the many things I learned when I first started traveling the world was that it made me realize that we are all so much alike. The human experience is universal and when we see other cultures, we realize that we all want to be loved, to give love, to have shelter, food, financial security and so on.
Thank you so much for spreading this message. We need more of it.
Thank you for those wonderful words Nadia. I loved what you wrote.
When you mention that the human experience is universal, I think you’ve brought up a core issue here. If we’re unable to understand this simple truth, we are then more inclined to feel different and even superior to other groups of people. And of course, this leads to fear, hatred, lack of respect, fighting and on and on…
Many of us definitely do take much too much for granted and if only more people would see the world as you do and understand that a five-minute wait at the supermarket is really nothing to complain about, there would be much less anger and unhappiness in the western world.
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com!
Hi Earl – You have a great story, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Very inspiring. I’ve been a Seeker, Explorer, Wanderer for a long time, within the boundaries of my own country. And I do think it has helped me to be more compassionate and better understand the world view of others. But one of the things I’ve discovered as I’ve gotten older is that my explorer isn’t just about what’s out there, but also about what’s inside, of me. And the more I wander in that realm of the unknown, my interior world, to see all that’s there, both dark and light, the more I am able to accept all people and cultures. Without ever setting foot on a plane, train, or bus. It’s kind of weird, but I like it!
Patty – Why Not Start Now?´s last blog ..What the Super Bowl Taught Me About Life
Hey Patty / Fellow Wanderer! – What you wrote is definitely not weird, it’s a great point. If we don’t explore our own interior world then it is difficult to discover our true self. As a result, we end up being someone we are ’supposed’ to be, not who we truly are.
There is no doubt that such internal exploration has powerful positive benefits and just like with exploring the world itself, there are no limits to the discoveries that can be made when seeking within.
Thank you for sharing your comment!
Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at QuestForBalance.com!
[...] When I Grow Up, I Want to Be an Explorer!: A lovely post from Quest for Balance that talks about how we lose our desire for discovery as we [...]
[...] [...]