Sometimes in the everyday hustle of life, we ignore and forget about what makes great places so great. For many years now (possibly my whole life) I’ve been a restless mess of jumping from one job and city to the next, never settling for more than a year and seemingly never satisfied. I have tried to make the most of these restless endeavors and take them on with a positive optimism that allows learning to happen from both good times and bad.

What I have been learning most recently about a life of adventure is that no matter how beautiful a place, how scenic the scenery, it is not as memorable if you can’t share it with others. Perhaps this is why social media blew up as it did; our instinctual desire to share our human experiences with fellow brothers and sisters of the earth.  People make places, and sharing your adventures with others will be sure to give the best memories. As someone who routinely disappears into the woods or desert alone, I can say it has its fun. You get total serenity, control of the planning (in my case it is usually about 10% planning 90% improv), and you get time alone with your thoughts to learn more about yourself.

The problem with all of the alone-ness is that no matter how introspective you manage to get in your solitude, you will never fully understand yourself. You need the experiences and understanding of others to help shape the views of yourself and the world. This is why I feel travelers tend to be more entertaining and empathetic than those who stay at home. They have chosen to go out into the world and explore ways others live their daily lives. None of us are perfect, but we can all learn something from each other. Someone may have a doctorate degree in engineering, but not know the first thing about how to bake a potato. The next lesson could come from a homeless man on the street who knows nothing of finance but is a master at tying a tight bowline knot. We’re all teachers, and we’re all students, you just have to be willing to share.

Sharing of course, in person through stories and laughs, adventures and hardships, heart aches and love. Think about a great story from your life, did you go through it alone? No way! There are always people in your life that care about you, even if it doesn’t feel like it at times. Sometimes you have to be the one to reach out and take that first step of friendship towards a stranger. Who knows? Maybe that’s your next best friend and adventure buddy.