Today, I am 37 years old. Is that a big deal? Well, given our decimal-based numeric system, turning 37 is conventionally uneventful. Usually, a 37th birthday isn’t an overly-celebrated event. It certainly isn’t 30 or 40.

For me, turning 37 is a very big deal. Not because I’m turning 37, but because of the adventure I am on right now. (Initially, my 37th birthday was the day we would hit the road for our gap year. But, we’ve since pushed that date to April 4th to give us more time to work on our van build.)

Where I Want to Be and What I Want to Do

Over the last few months, I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of self-reflection. (I’m not sure if this is a function of daily mediation, watching too many YouTube travel videos, or both.) Over that time, it has become exceptionally clear to me that this is my last chance to do this – to take time to travel while we still can. And that’s pretty great – because there is nothing else I’d rather be doing right now.

Of course, one can make a million arguments about why we shouldn’t be doing this – or about how we should doing this a different way. But, to paraphrase the amazing and talented Paula Pant, people want you to be happy and well, even though they’re often misguided about the means by which you can achieve that happiness. So, if they suggest an alternative that is not in line with your goals, their intention is still just for you to be happy and well. And only you can understand how to achieve that. And, if you’re wrong, then that’s part of life.

For my 37th year around the sun, I am so grateful to be where I am today!