My friend Phil is out traveling the world. Literally.
When Phil was twelve or thirteen he started saving money and sat on his growing nest egg for almost a decade. When he graduated from college he decided to take his stash of cash and travel the world for a few months.
Some people say “travel the world” and they mean that they’re going to see Western Europe and maybe even adventure into South America a bit before heading home. Phil, however, wants to try and hit at least six of the seven continents and really experience the places he’s visiting and exploring.
Phil is traveling through New Zealand and right now. (He already finished Australia.) At night he sleeps in a tent and during the day he hikes around and takes amazing pictures like the one above with Phil looking out at Mt. Cook. (It may look familiar as part of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy was filmed there.)
I love Phil. I do. But at the same time the whole thing is kind of driving me nuts. I’m sitting here in Minneapolis, just weeks from graduation and without a clear sense of what’s next, and I'm thinking, “Oh my God, Phil is out there seeing the world. He’s really doing it! People really do this!”
And then I gulp and think, “Well, what am I doing?”
How many people talk about doing the kind of thing Phil is doing and then never do it?
I want to think that someday I’ll be doing something equally as fabulous, but it’s hard to hold on to that as if the fledgling idea that someday I may do something fabulous should pacify me.
But really, Phil, I love you. And you really are fabulous.
