It's Just the Bones We're Made Of

Why do we do what we do? I don't just mean Em and me- humans; what drives us? Do we base our decisions off nature or nurture? I believe there is no simple answer. Some people seem perfectly content doing the same thing every day. Clock in and clock out. The assurance and safety one gets from certainty can be comforting, I guess. Let's throw that out the window, turn it on its head. What are you left with? Uncertainly, chaos, excitement and adventure. Yes! I want that!

For my whole life-well let's be fair- since I can remember, I have wanted something different. I've worked hard my whole life, done it all: from farming, construction, restaurant jobs, small home towny grocery store, college, corporate office grind, and, again, back to construction. Never though, have I stayed in one job longer then three years, nor was I satisfied. I just couldn't do it. I would reach a point of insanity in monotony. I couldn't help thinking, "This can't be it, there's no way this is what it's all about. We were not put here for this." You know, your typical deep and angsty mind vomit. You also get to a point in a job or trade where you take all that you can from it. My thinking is learn what you learn and get out. So I would leave in search of something different. Truth is, I never strayed too far. Besides the weekend adventures, and fleeing whenever I got the chance, I would always find myself back home. That's the comfort in safety- I also call it being comfortably fearful.
 

So it leads me to think, "People are happy with their jobs, right? They're making money, buying nice things, they're really doing it!" Sure, I guess for some people (most people that I've grown up around). So then I ask, "Why won't anything give me what I need? Where's the satisfaction in my everyday?" I feel alive on weekends and holidays when I'm out exploring and doing all the things I love, but then the reality of life comes back and tears through my tissue-paper happiness with its jagged brutality. It shan't be like that.
 

I find out now, it was useless confusion. The answer was right there at the end of every chapter. It was in the small pangs of anxiety I got between jobs, the wonder, the hope, the not knowing what was next. That's the spice!​

So with that in mind I put my thoughts and admirations out into the oh so mysterious universe, and let the wind take them where they needed to be. It brought me what I needed. A like minded companion, another wishful wonderer, my EM!! We met and with haste started spilling our souls and thoughts to one another of a different far off world where you didn't have to work and you could be in a different place every time your eyelids peeled away from one another if you fancied. Thanks to her my dreams came true. Christmas morning she surprised me with not one but two, one way tickets to Iceland! The only catch, the second ticket belonged to her, shit did I say catch I meant my other present. (Just kidding digs, wouldn't be here without ya) We quickly began working towards making our dreams a reality.

There's that word again, "work". It can be an ugly one when applied in certain context.
Here's the reality though, I say we started working towards making our dreams a reality because that's exactly what we had to do.
Two one way tickets to Iceland- check. Epic plans to travel for months on end- check. Enough money in the bank to support us- yeah not so much, bummer. We have been working and saving as much as we can for a about a year and a half now. We are travel monks, basically. That means we work our asses off during the week and sometimes weekends, and we sacrifice going out on week nights. We eat tuna and ramen, watch Netflix until our brains melt, and dream of days to come. But, alas, we get away on our weekend adventures, sticking to budget of course. Em and I jokingly say, "Sell your soul to travel the world" and sadly it's a truth, but an exciting one! BECAUSE ITS ALL WORTH IT!

So what drives us? It's just the bones we're made of, it's needing nothing but wanting to be a part of everything. It's the spice!

Stay lost, my friends!
-Mike

To see more photos from our weekend in Maine head over to our gallery page