“Why are you doing all of this?”

I feel like my first real post should be dedicated to addressing the number one question I get from people when I bring up not going to college and traveling instead.

Now, I obviously cannot give a very deep answer simply because I’ve only backpacked Peru and my next trip is two months away, but I can still explain what I’m feeling right now.

You see, where I’m from, everybody expects you to graduate high school and then go immediately to college, and that’s great! For some people. But I simply cannot fathom spending thousands and thousands of dollars on classes when I don’t even know what I want to do with the rest of my life. I can’t just go and say, “Hey, maybe I’ll figure it out along the way!” and switch my major four or five times before my junior year. I can’t do that. For the same price as one year of college (let’s say $10,000) a person can travel all over the whole globe and still have some money left over when they get back. That’s so many amazing experiences over that year that college could never even come close to giving a person. Now, I’m not hating on college, and I’ll make it someday because I want to learn, but right now I feel like it would be the worst decision I could make for myself.

I guess what I want to show people is that you can do it. It’s possible. You don’t have to suffocate under piles and piles of debt until you’re ready. I just graduated high school a year ago, and I’ve already backpacked through Peru and I’m just about to spend around four months in off-the-grid Alaska while remaining completely debt free. If that doesn’t say that you can do anything you put your mind to then I’m not sure what will.

For my friends and family:

There’s so much more out there than Iowa. So much more.

Come to think of it, I met so many people in Peru, so many that skipped college (or uni) just like me to travel for a little while. I met people that had been traveling for a week and a half and I met a lot more people that had been traveling for a year and a half. Not a single person regretted it. Not a single person was sad. Instead, the hostels had parties every night and nobody ever had to go to work the next day.

My goal is to show people that the world is so much more than small-town Iowa. There are millions and millions of amazing things going on around the planet. Don’t miss them. Experience them while you can.

– Trinity