I have always been someone who likes to travel, who seeks adventure and is always looking for a new experience. Yet somehow we become bogged down with work, hell with life in general. It seems the true window for traveling and having fun is right after highschool, at which time money seems to not mean much and we simply figure things out. As a old retired friend once told me "you cannot tell me that two college kids with fifty cents to their name are not going to have more fun on vacation in the Bahama's than a couple old retired millionaires". If we think about that and put it into perspective, its more than true, as we get older our body breaks down and we feel our aches and pains even more. Maybe its not so much feeling them more as being more conscious and more affected, whatever the case it becomes harder to do what we want. Suddenly that para sailing looks like it may not be such a good Idea, skiing down the Andes seems like something you would rather watch someone else do, and scuba diving? bah, who wants to clear their ears at depth still? I do damn it, the absolute best times of my life have been complete and utter irresponsibility, my only regret I have when I told my boss at the Flying J to go to hell and took off on my motorbike was that I did not travel to more places. I did alright, I spent a few weeks with my sis in the tri cities, then headed out to visit a friend stationed south of Tacoma, riding thru rainier park was amazing and having people buy me fuel and lunch just to hear my stories was priceless. Later I would quit another job and head off to Europe, spending a few months riding the train around and blowing nearly every dime I had. Well almost every dime, I had a cache at home, cept dad tapped into it n I got more tied down than ever as I was butt ass broke. Ok maybe not, as my sis was up on spring break and we went partying, she had brought one of her friends and the morning they were going to leave her friend said "you should come to cali with us". Going back to sitting at a desk pushing iron with wheels didnt seem to fun so I packed a bag and jumped in the car with them and spent a couple more months In cali picking on the nerds at Stanford and generally being a waster (insert hang loose symbol).
Cash strapped I came back to Montana and lived in a camper in Dads Yard for the rest of the summer and doing odd jobs here and there and then I Met my X. Well I call her my X as its the only serious relationship I ever had, anyhow we had a banging summer until she headed to arizona back to school, and again, I said to hell with it, grabbed a plane ticket and headed down to Az. The next few years were spent with her, then after our separation it seemed I forgot about the carefree Craig and resided to have fun on a local level rather than the big special trips. I know to many reading this you will be like what the hell? Look, hanging out locally and enjoying life is a good thing, but to me the world is this big and beautiful place with doors waiting to be opened, hell to be kicked in. Finally I got off my ass and in 2006 headed to Russia, the first time I was ever scared going someplace, was it because it was Russia? Or because I was simply content with my boring life at home? Not sure, kicking around in our former hated enemies home turf and making comrades was tons of fun. then in 07 I booked a trip to the Philippines and having a crazy awesome adventure traveling around in hands down the most beautiful place I have been so far. Since then Dad got sick and died, bro in law didnt hang around anymore on this earth and headed to hang out with Dad, then Mom got yanked away and is now floating around happily as well. So here I sit wanting a big trip and about to settle on a small one, dont get me wrong, I consider myself blessed to take another small trip. But lets face it, while we are single with no commitments or real obligations it is the best time to travel and enjoy life.
I always said I would rather be the old guy being a greeter at walmart having done it all, than being the guy who dreamed of doing it all.
Yol Bolson
May there be a Road.
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