Reading, writing and solo traveling

Solo travel changes you. Not because of where you go, but because of who you become when there’s no one else around to tell you who you are. When you’re out there alone, halfway up a mountain, sitting in a quiet café, or waking up in a tent a thousand miles from home, you start to meet yourself for the first time. You make choices on instinct. You get lost, then find your way back. You learn that loneliness isn’t something to fear, it’s something to learn from. I’ve found that one of the most valuable skills in life is learning to be friends with yourself. To genuinely enjoy your own company. To trust your thoughts and respect your silence. Ask yourself: if you met you, would you want to be friends? What you do is who you are The things that have shaped me the most have been reading, writing, solo travel, running, and starting a company. Each has been a different kind of teacher. Reading taught me I’m not alone. Every book is someone else struggling. Someone else overcoming similar obstacles. Someone else experiencing the same emotions, trials and tribulations that you’re going through. Each book has so much wisdom. Reading has given me heroes and it’s told epic stories about true passion. I’ve cried, I’ve laughed, I’ve learned, I’ve grown. All from reading simple words on a piece of paper. I heard a quote once like “A person who reads lives many lives, a person who doesn’t lives once.” I believe this to be true. Writing taught me how to think. How to sit with problems, untangle them, and find perspective. It showed me that in hindsight, most problems are just moments that eventually pass. Whether it’s a business problem, your love life or something completely random, writing helps you make sense of your own thoughts rather than letting them run around in your mind. Going back and reading my own writing has been one of the joys of my life. I made the decision late in college to start writing religiously and I can confidently say that it was one of the best decisions of my life. I wanted something that would live on forever that I could pass to my kids. They are going to be able to read about my life story and all the feelings I had during those moments. This is special. Solo travel taught me about relationships. In traveling I’ve been in love, I’ve been extremely alone, I’ve had belly aching laughs, I’ve eaten at full tables, I’ve drank alone, I discovered trail running, I’ve seen environmental disasters with my own eyes, I’ve witnessed the miracles of Mother Nature. I once heard a quote that went something like “The ones who are the most afraid are the ones that don’t get out much.” I think that’s true. Travel opened my eyes to new cultures, to new people, to friends I still keep in touch with, to a unique perspective that isn’t American. There are so many ways of life out there and be able to learn from others is truly a gift. Go out there! Take the trip. Buy the flight. Sometimes you just gotta say fuck it. Running taught me patience. Progress happens quietly, one mile at a time. You don’t always notice it until you look back. This applies to everything in life. The little things in life are the ones that matter most. Showing up to a workout every day no matter what. Being present at dinner every time you sit down. Reading that book instead of turning on the TV. When you start to pay attention, it almost becomes repulsive to think about wasting your own time. And building a company ties everything together. It continues to teach me resilience, discipline, and how to keep going when there’s no clear path forward. It’s both humbling and empowering to realize you’re the one responsible for what happens next. You’re responsible for the ups. You’re responsible for the downs. Just like running, building a company requires you to show up every day with a patient urgency. Just like travel, it requires a diverse group of people to grow. Just like writing, it teaches you how to work through problems and solve them better the next time. And just like reading, you learn there are others in the world building. Struggling. Passionate. In their own ways. So take the trip. Read that book instead. Write a little. Be lonely and be okay with it. Try hard things. Just start. If something is calling you, follow it. Don’t wait until it’s convenient. Just do it! The biggest regrets in life are those of inaction. I’m grateful for all of it. The books, the runs, the flights I missed, the friends I met by accident, and the company I’m still learning to build. I’m grateful for my family, for nature, for the long quiet moments that remind me how far I’ve come. And in those moments I realize how much further I have to go!