@soundbwoy_shep - Journal - #livewanderlust

When I reached 30 my cousin and I took a pact that from that point on, every move we made in life would be for some type of meaningful gain. From that very moment, I slowly began to think less about material objects and more about the things in life I truly cared about. My relationship with my family, my career as teacher, the relationships I have built with the few people I call friends and my drive to push myself in a creative fashion all began to take precedent. Our trip to Europe was another move in the direction of gains.

From an early age, my mother exposed me to a variety of activities and settings. As a child, I was completely unaware that my mother was attempting to broaden my experiences in an effort to make me a well rounded individual. As an adult, I now understand the importance of that type of exposure and appreciate the value of it. Gaining exposure is essential for survival and in a world that is constantly evolving, exposure is a catalyst for change. At 30 I began changing. I took risks, I failed, I loved, I traveled, all in the name of gains. From the moment I stepped foot inside of Cocomama, our lodging while in Amsterdam, I knew that this trip would be special. For the days that followed, we spoke to our suite mates about everything from music to the perception of Americans. What I learned wasn't surprising. The ease of travel within Europe is not a luxury but a common and casual experience that is almost expected. The direct access to authentic cultural experiences have made the Europeans we encountered very self aware, less stressed and fascinating conversationalists.

We soaked up the sun in Barcelona. We drank sangria and ate tapas at a cafe in Las Ramblas. We dug our toes in the sand on the shores of the Mediterranean. We ate raw Herring at a street market in Amsterdam. We made friends with people from just about every corner of Western Europe.

We gained experiences. We gained exposure.