The Human Experience

Traveling allows for meditation and introspection. It broadens your world view and alters how you see yourself and others. It provides answers but creates many, many more questions. It is a unique and challenging experience. As I was living the dream of backpacking across Europe, I kept wondering why I felt that something was missing. I think part of the answer can be found in recalling our visit to the Red Cross Museum. I had anticipated a visit full of despair as the human experience was marred by suffering, natural disasters and war. Instead, it was encouraging. Yes, there is and has been since the fall of man, suffering, natural disasters and war. However, we caught a glimpse of beauty in the pain. People, through the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, were responding to the human experience. During the 10 weeks we spent traveling, I experienced so much. I met tons of people. I saw new sights, heard new sounds, smelled and tasted new wonders. My sensory system was on overload. There was so much to take in. But I felt that something was lacking. I was so busy absorbing and traveling that I did not have an opportunity to respond. I could react, but that is not the same as responding. I am incredibly blessed to have a job that I love that allows me to respond to the human experience in a very tangible way. As a nurse, I am able to help others navigate the turbulent waters of illness and injury. To be sure, it is a difficult element of the human experience. But it is an honor and a privilege to respond. Through our responses, we can fully realize our humanity.

Adventure

Adventure. I love that word. It connotates wonder, excitement and opportunity. Possibilities abound in the word itself. But what does adventure mean? Each person may have their own definition. Alistair Humphreys, a Brit who biked around the world in four years, has a clear picture of adventure in his mind. I met a pharmacist prior to the marathon in Flanders Field who thought running 100 miles through the Sahara Desert was adventure. The frail, elderly lady may see going to the grocery store as an adventure. I believe adventure is anything that gets you out of your comfort zone, that challenges how you think and how you perceive the world. Adventures push the limits of capabilities. Adventures lead to discoveries like self-awareness, awareness of others, personal character aspects and new abilities and/or limits. You meet people, learn and gain new perspective, which allows a more full human experience. Living with a spirit of adventures allows you to vanquish three of my most dreaded fears; stagnation, apathy and complacency. Adventures allow you to capture unrealized potential. Adventures are freeing (notice I did not say free, although they can be). Often times, we get caught up thinking, "I couldn't possibly go off on an adventure. I don't have the money or the time." I like the idea of mini-adventures. Colorado is great because it offers heaps of mini adventures. It may be a new hike or a camping trip or something entirely different. Before we left, Melissa started a list of adventures. It included things she had never done before like quitting her job, backpacking across Europe, playing an open mic night, dancing lessons, a week where everything she ate, including condiments, was homemade, paragliding, brewing kambucha, a day without electricity, a week without using her car, shooting a gun, and many others. One of the things that I love and respect so much about Melissa is her commitment to self-improvement and becoming a more well-rounded person.

One of the wonderful things about traveling is that you meet fantastic people. Three years ago, I met Lewis in Nepal. We have kept in touch and I have learned quite a bit through our friendship. Lewis introduced me to "The Do" Lectures. These are seminars motivating people to experience life, to do. Lewis created a website entitled, Statements of Intent. The blog focuses on inspiration and travel. It features videos, quotes and reading excerpts to promote an attitude of adventure and living a life of purpose. I have included the link. I definitely recommend checking it out and taking time to listen to Alistair Humphreys.

Regardless of your definition of what constitutes an adventure, embrace it. By approaching each day as adventure, the scales of the mundane, predictability and apathy will be torn off.

Statements of Intent

The Road Home

After a night out on the town, we bid farewell to Salamanca, but slowly and not too loudly. We took the train to Madrid. Upon our arrival, we put our luggage in storage and then tried to navigate the metro system to check out the city. We arrived in Puerta del Sol, the city's epicenter. We walked around the busy streets. We decided that perhaps it would best if we didn't enter shops after I knocked a display over. After a few lackluster hours spent in Madrid, we returned to the train station and boarded the night train to Paris. We had one roommate in our four person compartment. We did not speak due to the language barrier. Snoring crosses that border with ease and it was yet another restless night. The 13 hour train ride turned into 15 and we were happy to get off the train, once we squeezed our packs through the passage ways.

Melissa and I are perhaps the only backpackers to travel through Paris and not stop to see the sights. The extent of our Paris experience was waving to the Notre Dame as we crossed the Seine on the Metro. We had both traveled to Paris on high school band trips and did not enjoy it. We were not interested in investing precious time and money in a city that neither one of us felt drawn to. We had heard that Paris is a city of strong emotion, you either love it or hate it. You fall in love in Paris and you break up there. At the end of our trip, we didn't want to jeopardize our friendship by entering a city that could polarize us. We took the train to Lille and then to Bruges.

Bruges (Brugge) is a beautiful city in Belgium. We decided to stop in Belgium on our journey north to Amsterdam because we wanted another round of Belgium Beer. Bruges is a gorgeous medieval city. In the 14th Century it was an important trade center but its economic lifeline dried up at the same time the canals linking it to the sea did. The city was abandoned in time, only to be revitalized by tourism. Upon settling into our slightly sketchy hostel, Melissa and I went in search of food and beer. We found delicious beer, a cheese platter, and a South African named Chris. Chris was studying engineering in France and had traveled to Bruges with his South African classmates. After meeting so many wonderful South Africans, Melissa and I are inspired to travel to South Africa next. We met two South African girls who stole my empty mug on their way out the door. The waitress was very upset and threatened a 50 Euro fine. Fortunately, Chris was able to retrieve the mug. Apparently it is socially acceptable to steal in South Africa. Interesting... South Africa in 2012! Feeling that we had worn out our welcome, Melissa and I went to another pub with 300 different types of beer. It was difficult to choose but the waitress made excellent recommendations and it was quite tasty. The bar also had a New Belgium Brewery Fat Tire plaque on the wall which was cool to see. The following morning, we bundled up in our hats and scarves and wandered about the town. We had delicious coffee and waffles to warm up. However, we have found that the best Belgium waffles can be found in the train stations.

Melissa and I then boarded a very crowded train to Amsterdam. The train was so full that we crammed into the gangway used for luggage storage with 10 other people and lots of luggage. It was fun standing and swaying with train, occasionally colliding with fellow passengers when the train stopped. Melissa and I got off at the airport station and took a shuttle to a ritzy airport hotel. The hotel must not be frequented by backpackers because the shuttle driver questioned us three times if we really did want to go the hotel. He then followed us in to see if we had reservations and the ability to pay. We ordered room service and drank beer that we had gotten at the Bruges Beer Temple as we discussed the best and worst elements of the trip.

The following morning, we woke up early to go to the airport for our flight home. Actually, I didn't wake up. I never went to sleep. It was simply a matter of getting out of bed. The flights from Amsterdam to London Heathrow and then from Heathrow to Denver went very smoothly. It was a long plane journey but it was fairly painless thanks to technological advancements and in-flight entertainment. It was exciting to look at the map as we got closer to home. Melissa's very excited parents greeted us as we emerged from customs. My incredible friend Jalean picked me up from the airport and treated me to a delicious dinner. She insisted that I sleep in her super comfortable bed. When I protested she quipped, "What part of non-negotiable do you not understand? Besides, it will be awkward if we both sleep on the couch."

It is simply lovely to be home. I have phenomenal friends and a fantastic family. I have enjoyed spending time with them immensely. I am excited to catch up with everyone again. I stayed a day in Colorado Springs before driving home to Nebraska. It was amazing to see my dog Ellie again. When I walked through the door, it was almost like she didn't believe her eyes and then she sprang up and was very loving and vocal in her affection. She follows me around and is always very excited to see me when I return from an outing, thrilled that I came back. I do love my dog. Thanksgiving was a glorious feast and not just because of the food. I was humbled by how much I have to be thankful for. I am thankful for safe travels, a great traveling buddy, family, friends, Ellie, the ability to travel, the people that I met while traveling, and the opportunities to stay connected. I am thankful to live in a country that allows you to dream and pursue those dreams. I am thankful for living in a beautiful and dynamic world and opportunity to experience it. I am thankful for life.