Travel. It Will Give You Perspective.

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.”– Anais Nin

The past week marks the beginning of the rest of our time at BDW, Startup. We have officially decided to move forward with our idea of creating a platform for more authentic, experience driven travel. Our team formed around our love to travel and our desire to create something with positive social impact. Together, we have traveled to over 60 countries and speak a number of different languages. Our research and personal stories of travel remind me of the many benefits that travel can offer.

I have been fortunate in the past 10 years of my life to travel to some amazing places, both within the United States and beyond. However, I really think the beginning of my authentic “real” travel experiences began when I was 16 and applied to spend a semester of my junior year at HMI. HMI is a semester program in Leadville, Colorado where 30 high school juniors get the amazing experience of living and learning amongst the mountains of Colorado and the canyons of Utah. At HMI, I found myself backpacking in southwestern Utah for 15 days at a time, with nothing but the things I carried on my back. I was not with a tour group, but rather with 5 other students and 2 teachers. We did not fly, or drive, or ATV. Instead, we lived, breathed, and walked amongst the canyon floors and slept beneath the starry skies. And, by traveling this way, we were able to see, hear, and discover more than if we were in a car. To me, we were experiencing the Canyonlands the same way that the people who came before us did. And, that was something special.

The way I looked at travel changed from this moment on. I no longer had the desire to go and stay at some luxurious resort, where I was confined to inside the walls. Instead, I sought the rugged, off the beaten path experiences. When camping, I chose to be away from people over built out campgrounds with pit toilets and fire rings.

Just one week ago, I was back in the Canyonlands of Utah, covered in dust and grime. My hair was knotted and starting to form dreads, but I didn’t care. There was no cell service, no speakers blasting the latest hits on the radio, and nobody around. Days were spent climbing through slot canyons and nights spent laughing over the campfire and then staring at the starry sky. Every minute, was refreshing, enlivening really. It sparked something within me that could not be found if not for in this rugged and wild environment. Nothing was glamorous or flashy, but it was amazing.

Already, after a week of research I am already itching to go on another adventure. I hope that through the process of developing our startup, our team can create a platform that will allow others to experience the many joys of rugged, real travel, whether overseas or in their backyards.

I am currently a student in BDW’s 50 week program. Learn more about the BDW program.