You may not have a lot of money, or you may have a trust fund, but either way, we all know everyone desires the expensive accessories. Why wouldn’t we? I mean… wouldn’t buying a $2000 Gucci purse make that Instagram photo really nice, wouldn’t it make people turn their heads when walking down the street? It feels good, for about three seconds then that $2000 dollar purse gets thrown in the back of your closet. So the question I want to ask is do we really need it?
I understand that life is revolved around getting all of those social media likes because it makes us all feel better. That dopamine (a brain chemical associated with pleasure) makes us all feel better about ourselves, which is okay but that stays around for a day maybe two. Not a lifetime.
If you have traveled, and I mean really traveled, you will understand what I mean when I talk about addiction. The addiction you gain from seeing the world. It is quite the curse but one that leads to so many wonderful things you will always remember. I know for me the more I travel the more I grow.
You grow to understand people, to really see the different types of people all around the world. The different kinds of people that make the world go round. You start to understand the different ways people think, all depending on their background. You come to realize not everyone is your friend and that life is a competitive world. Mostly you are able to connect with people all around the world. That is more than what a purse can offer. You can finally see your money turning into something strong, something real. Once you hit this point, that hard earned money is turned into something more than money; it turns into an experience– that lasts forever.
You grow to understand the different aspects of yourself. I know this sounds cliche but have you ever been walking down the busy streets of Vancouver with no cell service and no map? Let me just tell you that you earn a lot of self-respect when you earn that sense of direction and common sense to return yourself back home. Although it is scary, once you are past the point of fear and finally realize you’re safe you can recognize how fortunate you are to have added another skill to your life.
You will always have those memories to fall back on. You will earn life experience. A photo is worth a million words. Being able to show your children, grandchildren, or just keep to yourself, those photo albums all about your adventures are priceless. You can not put a price on having memories.
Forget that $2000 purse, you don’t need it anyway. Use the money that you saved and go on a trip that you will always remember. Besides how many of you can recall where those zeros in your bank account went? Did it go to food? To rent? To clothes? A new car payment? That is okay because some of those things are necessities to life but wouldn’t it make you feel better when you can look into that bank account and think I am so happy with spending that 2000 on a two week trip to Costa Rica? Let’s finally say no to those name brands and start saying yes to those experiences. Cheers to Life and to making memories! Your adventure is waiting and calling your name, don’t let it down.
Featured image via Guillaume de Germain on Unsplash
