Why do it?

So finally the last question on everybody’s mind... why? Many people ask me this, and it’s definitely a question I must ask myself a lot. I mean seriously, why would anyone want to abandon their whole life just to go backpacking? First off you have to quit your job, but not only that, you'd be spending thousands of dollars instead of earning it! So economically, travelling is probably the stupidest thing you could ever do. I mean going off the beaten path and creating your own doesn’t seem to make much sense to people.

According to our society, we go to school, we graduate and then go on to post-secondary education, where we do about four years, then finish everything off with a PhD or a Masters. Next, we find a career, get married and buy a house. Finally we have children and the process repeats itself. Everything in our lives is pressured into being exactly the way it’s supposed to be. Well, what if you decided you don't want to live like that? What if you make a conscious decision to be different? What if, instead of having a structure and a routine, you decided not to? What if every day could be an adventure, and every adventure could lead you to grow and experience new and exciting things, while teaching you in the process how to be independent and to experience life to the fullest? What if you could throw it all away and just do it.

That’s why I want to travel —okay, not exactly to get out of society’s standards — but to live my life the way I want to. I'm tired of waking up every day knowing exactly what’s going to happen. I'm tired of having a schedule of things that need to be done, and I'm tired of eating the same things over and over again. I want it to be different. I want everything to be different! I want to wake up not knowing what’s going to happen to me. I want the freedom of being whoever I want to be, doing things that suit me and me alone. I want to discover who I am on my own terms, because I just don't know. I don't think anyone truly knows. We are cattle living according to the rules, we do as we are told and execute all of our orders almost mindlessly. I don't know if I want a desk job, or a house, or a husband with beautiful children. I am a lost soul confined to a schedule I didn't create. I am being restrained by what is expected of me, and I don’t want to put up with it. I want freedom; I want to live like every day is my last.

Every experience in life should be sweet. Every mistake should be welcomed. Every day should be embraced. I want to taste, feel, smell, and see everything the world has to offer. I want to live through a backpack so I can learn to carry only the necessities. My life will be a huge adventure that will contain many trails, many different paths, much knowledge, many excursions, and it will be absolutely breathtaking. Everyone is so concerned with how everything will unfold that they forget that the days are passing by. I want to forget about my future for one whole year. I don't want to think about a husband, a mortgage, kids, or anything besides living.

People are concerned that I'll get hurt, or something will happen, and you know what? It might. I might get hurt, or damaged, but I don’t care. And when I'm an old 80-year-old woman with a walker, living in a retirement residence I will smile, because I will be able to say that I lived my life the way I wanted to. I will be the old lady who says "I've done it all," the one who welcomes death with open arms. Because “everybody dies, but not everybody lives!” (Yes I just quoted the song, “Moments for Life” by Nicki Minaj.)

Feature: The dreams of a young girl

It all started on a four-hour drive to Toronto, and my first flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Corrina, Candice and I were about to discover England and France together. This was the first time I crossed the Atlantic…or any ocean for that matter, and as we waited to board our flight, Corrina kept reassuring us that everything would be fine, and that the plane wouldn’t crash (even though I barely believed her). However we made it, and once we landed in London we explored the city together, staying out till 4a.m., roaming the streets of Camden, meeting new people, exploring the different parts of London through the glorious Tube. We ate at the vegan buffet almost every day to fill our stomachs, and then we’d go back to the hostel afterwards and hang out with other travelers.

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Fiction: Modern Day Batman

It all started one night when Chris was coming home from the bars. He had a pretty good buzz going on but nothing too serious that could alter his perception, or his balance, and then he heard a female screaming. "You are not driving this goddamn car!" A car door slammed and a yell resounded in the night. "I drive if I want to! Now get in the fucking car!" "I will not!" BANG!

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What's up partner?!

Travelling can take many different twist and turns, and the person you travel with can alter the outcomes of these adventures. The big question you have to ask yourself is who is going to accompany you on your trip? Now remeber, I’m not talking about a trip down south, I’m talking about a trip around the world, a year or so long, which obviously demands alot of dedication. Most people who go backpacking must decide whether they want to go alone or in a group, both options have their advantages and disadvantages.

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Review: The Shallows; What the Internet is doing to our brains

This is a very informative book about the consequences and minor gains of the widespread use of online activity. In The Shallows, Nicholas Carr approaches the situation from numerous different angles; he then substitutes all necessary factors that could lead to his ultimate thesis, that the Internet is consuming all of our energy and mind power, practically, but not completely turning us brain dead.

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