Last year I had saved up money for a new camera lens, and when I was about to buy it the opportunity arose to climb Mt. Rainier with some cousins. I had a decision ahead of me. I was graduating high school and I figured I deserved to buy myself something special, and the lens was exactly what I wanted, but my cousins convinced me I could live without the it and this would be a great chance to climb a mountain I always dreamed of climbing. Not knowing much about what I was doing and initially doubting my decision, I ended up and summiting Mt. Rainier, and it was a truly amazing experience that introduced me to the addicting world of mountaineering, and the idea that money could be spent on more than just material goods.
After that amazing trip, I decided that my dream of traveling wasn't completely inaccessible, but it required a few trade offs. Just a few months ago I realized I would have an opportunity to work on a small filmmaking project, and I decided that I wouldn’t spend the money I would make on the camera or new computer I had set my mind on, but rather an experience.
I explained to a close childhood friend of mine how cool it would be to take a vacation this summer before we were both busy with internships and real life, laid out a budget, and decided to see where it could take us. On a whim we bought tickets to Taiwan, Vietnam, and Singapore. This was something that I never would have thought of doing a year or two ago.
I have begun to realize how much value travel contains. This trip I have committed myself to this summer has already proven its worth. I have realized that the memories that will be created will last far longer than the products I could have bought instead, and the trip will show me a part of the world and way of life that will be new and unusual to me. I have realized that many of my dreams are achievable if I completely dedicate myself to accomplishing them, and make a few trade offs.
I have also come to see how many weak excuses I had made in the past when dreaming about travel. I used to always tell myself I couldn't afford to see new places and I created reasons why my money would be better spent on material goods, but after seeing the power of travel, my mind has been changed. I now truly believe that the best way to invest in myself is to create memories that will be educational and everlasting. That new lens I used to want seems far less useful to me now than it did a few short years ago.
@Benbom