Lune de Miel en Mer

I know what you're thinking...

"It's so cliché to find a blog article entitled '17 Things I Learned From 17 Years of Traveling'. But, yeah, it is true that these are the things you should take away from many years of travel.

Some things might not be new to you - but they will probably be new to those reading this article. So here's my list of seventeen things I learned from seventeen years of traveling: 

- Sometimes serendipity is just about lucking into something incredible; despite this, don't stop looking for ways to open up your opportunities and exposures.

- Have a backup plan. Don't assume that the treasures you discover along the way will always be at your disposal.

- Set long-term goals and keep them in sight. You just have to accept that they may not be met on day one or even year three. Sometimes you just have to live with that - but keep moving forward, year after year, until you accomplish your ultimate goal. Sometimes what works best is to short-term goals so that you stay motivated during the long years of work that are necessary to reach them in the end.

- There's a big difference between being an optimist and being an overallist. Being an optimist means seeing the glass half full, while being an overallist means seeing the glass as half empty at least some of the time. I think this difference comes from being able to look back on your life and see how you made it through so far. An optimist sees his or her past failures as blessings in disguise and can finally be happy with where he or she is now - while an overallist sees past failures as proof that he or she should give up now if he or she doesn't want to end up where those times went.

- Sometimes you have to be a nomad to simply find yourself. It's not for everyone, but sometimes you really do just have to wander the world aimlessly with just one bag and some basic essentials. This is where we find out who we are as people by taking stock of values such as character, integrity, morals and friendships.

- Most people are more than just what they seem on the surface. You're probably the same way - it's just that most people don't take the time to look past the first layers. Take your time to really get to know someone before judging them and then call them your friend or travel companion.

- Be awesome. Truly, you just have to do what you like to do and be yourself. If that means traveling the world and taking pictures of food, then do it - as long as you don't put up with people who hate on your passion or criticize your work - and even if they're friends at the same time they'll still criticize it.

- Even if you don't believe in a soulmate or twin flame or whatever you want to call it: open your heart and let your love grow. Don't try to keep this secret inside yourself because it won't make a difference anyway.

Conclusion:

I'm sure there are more things I can add to the list, but what you take away from this is totally up to you. I hope that the list helps you put these things in perspective and gives you some new ideas and inspiration for your own adventures.

Thanks for reading!

- Naveen "Ace" Angara[/ARTICLE]

Lun de Miel en Mer [ARTICLE END] Details Written by Ace Angara Published: February 8, 2012 01:50 Hits: 6974 Category: Life Lune de Miel en Mer [ ARTICLE START ]  - Do not try to keep up with everyone else's social media game.