There’s that saying, “Not all those who wander are lost.” I’m sure everybody has heard it and if you haven’t, it’s J.R.R. Tolkien. This quote certainly applies in this moment, but that has not always been the case.

I’d say I’m a fairly seasoned traveler. I’ve been across country four times already, with the latter three solo. Looking back at the first two, I really couldn’t have been more lost. I remember saying goodbye knowing that there was a reasonable chance that I might never return. I didn’t know what I was looking for – all I knew was that I hadn’t found it yet.

My true intentions of my journeys might have been unknown. I wasn’t just traveling America to discover America; I was traveling America to discover myself. In a life where I was so unhappy, I found happiness in exploring vast lands of nothing. My goal on my trips: to find who I am, and to find the source of my happiness. I was quite literally lost, staring out into nothingness.

Years later, I’ve found my way. Nothing helped me better to find my path than to eliminate all paths. I still travel – the need to travel has not subsided at all. I do travel, but for different reasons now. It’s what living is all about. Why have mountains and lakes, canyons and glaciers if all we do is work in an office? Simply put, there’s more to life than just work. But it’s not a black and white issue – the key is to find the balance. As much as I love nature, to make it work would degrade me. But without nature, I’d be unable to work.

I no longer wander because am lost, but rather I wander because it is who I am; for it is only when I wander do I find my path.

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