Dear 21-year-old-self,

Last week was the first day of my senior year of college. Fresh textbooks filled new backpacks. Groups gossiped about their summers. Syllabi were passed out on crisp bleached paper.

The only issue is, I never showed up.

You graduate high school, you get into college, you graduate in four years, you get a job. The curriculum was laid out, the expectations were clear. I, however, have never been one to follow rules.

Who dictates that we should graduate in four square years? When I started my freshman year, I used to plan out my classes for hours, trying to see if I could graduate in three years. You'll show them, I would tell myself, as if this was all a competition.

The question is not "How fast can I graduate college?"

The question should be "Who the hell cares how long it takes me to graduate college?"

I log onto Facebook. My friends are graduating, getting married, and having children. I can feel the anxiety boiling up, urging me to get out there and check all my boxes.

And then I have to remind myself that I'm twenty-one years old. I shouldn't feel rushed to do these things. I have no dependents. I have no mortgage. I have a disposable income.

I finally had to sit myself down and have a heart to heart.

"What do you want to do most in the world?"

Easy. "Travel."

 

So as university students eagerly made their last minute schedule changes on August 9th, I dropped all of my classes and bought a plane ticket. If I have a passion, and the means to live it out, why should another year of school stand in my way?

Sorry, class of 2016. I'm sure you won't miss me too much. Enjoy your exams and papers, I'll get my share of that next year.

Why should a four-year timestamp be placed on my education? No thank you, American educational system. I think I'd rather see the Bahamas, and Scotland, and Iceland, and England, and Germany, and Thailand, and wherever else the wind takes me because Lord knows I have yet to buy a plane ticket home yet.

Nowhere

I am a month overdue on uploading those spring break pictures. Attempt number one failed after Facebook deleted the album I spent two hours uploading. I will try again soon, I promise! And a blog post will accompany the upload!

In the meantime, I have been trying to enjoy non-school life. Which, as it turns out, simply means I can work 12 hours a day instead of 8. Lovely! And I have two weeks to pack for Florida (by the way, I'm moving to Florida for the summer. Forgot to mention that. For a full recap of my acceptance to the summer alumni program at Walt Disney World, visit my other blog HERE). And I fly out to Seattle tomorrow. I should probably start packing for that, too... But as you can see, I am more busy post-finals than when I was right in the midst of all the exams.

In other news, I have been pondering the word "nowhere" as of late. Although some may say that my blog title, All Roads Lead To Nowhere, is grammatically incorrect, I say otherwise. Nowhere, I would tell them, is not simply a state of inexistence, but a destination. For example, you see your roommate dressed up and walking out the front door.

"Where are you going?" you ask.
"Oh, nowhere," they reply, oftentimes with an anxious grin on their face.

Of course, they are going somewhere. But perhaps they are completely unaware of their final destination. Maybe that is the whole point of going "nowhere." You are not bound to a single plan, but are leaving your fate completely up to chance. Oh, the possibilities! Oh, the adventure!

This is why that is my final destination. It is the place that all the roads, at least the ones that matter most, lead.

Nowhere.

Thoughtful Thursday | 10,000 Views!

I just want to thank everyone who has made a contribution to this blog. Whether you've commented, shared it online, or simply read my rants and raves, you are awesome! Three days ago was the two year anniversary of All Roads Lead To Nowhere, and just a day after that it hit 10,000 views. This is incredible to me!

Two years ago, I started this blog, purely out of boredom and a need to exercise my writing abilities, as a freshman at BYU. In my very first post, "Roma Capitale", I said, "It's understandable to not know where you are going in life. As long as you know where you are right now, you might as well take in the beautiful scenery and simply conclude that today, all roads lead to nowhere." 

Even today, this still holds true. Over the course of two years, I have changed my path so many times and still don't have a clear idea of where I am going. But this blog has taught me to simply enjoy now. This small advice to myself has resulted in the best two years of my life. Though I still don't know where my road is taking me, I have been able to travel this country and enjoy every minute of the ride.

So for all of you who are reading my blog for the first time, or for those who have persevered for my frequent extended leave of absences, thank you!

Bucket List 2014

I wish I could say that this summer will be more eventful than last. However, now that I have transferred to a much more expensive school, I may have to get a little creative in order to save as much money as possible. Student loans are in my future, yet I don't want that to stop me from making this summer an adventure. I mean, you're only 20 once, right? I better make it worthwhile.

Skydiving last summer

I find that I accomplish more when I have goals written on paper. Thus, I will be making another bucket list this summer! If you would like to view all the bucket list items I completed last year, click HERE, or click the "Bucket List 2013" tab above. This list includes everything from skydiving to bridge jumping, to hiking to Walt Disney World! As a college student, I completely understand how it feels to have to survive on one meal a day in order to make ends meet, and I have learned to cherish leftovers. So follow me on this journey into the unknown, and hopefully on a manageable budget! Where will we end up? Who knows, because all roads lead to nowhere. There is no certainty. There is only adventure.

Thoughtful Thursday | Money

And by "shoes", I mean
scuba diving lessons!

Welcome back to Thoughtful Thursday here on All Roads Lead To Nowhere! Let's talk about money, shall we? For our entire lives, this is the reason we slave away for eight hours a day. But it doesn't start here, it starts way back when we were kids. Time and time again, it was drilled into our heads that we need to get a good education, so that we can get a good job, so that we could make good money, so that we can live a good life. But as we all know, that money goes to pay off college debts, credit card bills, rent, gas, and much more. It isn't until we are old and retired that we have the time and money to do anything. But are you really going to live out your dreams - travel the world, skydive, swim with dolphins - when you're 80 years old? Stay with me, there is a point to all of this.

This post is absolutely contrary to the mantra that has been instilled in my mind since birth - save every penny, save every penny! But you know what I think? You can spend a bit here and there if it makes you happy! No, this doesn't mean go spend all your money on clothes, alcohol, and video games. Spend it on something that will broaden your horizons - see the world, try new things! I had to remember that when I went skydiving, or when I moved across the country to Walt Disney World. It was worth it because of the experience I was gaining! So go out there, spend a little cash (please, don't get yourself into debt) and do something you've never done before!

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Thoughtful Thursday | Comparison

Through most of my teenage years, I found myself constantly wishing.

I wish I was pretty like her. I wish I had a nice car like him. I wish I could drop a few pounds to look more like her. I wish I was rich like that celebrity. I wish my hair could look like that model's in the magazine. I wish, I wish, I wish...

I was never happy because I was too often wishing to be someone that I'm not. It wasn't until fairly recently that I realized just how grateful I should be, because I am me. If we spend our lives comparing ourselves to others, there will be no time to appreciate what we do have, and we will never be happy. So stop comparing! I know, it's hard - I still have trouble with it. Try this:

Right now, name five things in your life that you are grateful for. C'mon, just do it!

Good. Now list five qualities that you like about yourself. I know, this one can be hard at first, but it get's easier as you learn to love who you are!

Whenever you find yourself wishing, just think about five things. It will help, I guarantee it!

Lake Serene

Here we go, hike number two! This one was around 8.5 miles round trip and had a 2500 ft elevation gain. I really enjoyed this hike because about three miles in you arrive at Bridal Veil Falls, pictured to the right. Then you continue the rest of the way until you reach Lake Serene. To be honest, the hike from the falls to the lake was absolutely grueling. There were dozens of sets of stairs to climb, and my legs did not appreciate the quick elevation gain. However, the view was worth it, as always. I think the best part about hiking is when you can just sit down at your destination and eat your lunch - one of the most rewarding feelings. That sounds totally lame, but if you are a hiker, you understand what I mean.

I'm very excited to finally have plans for the Fourth of July! Me and a group of friends are trekking over to Eastern Washington for the weekend. I'm stoked, this should be quite the adventure! Especially considering I haven't vacationed in Eastern Washington for many, many years.

In the meantime, go ahead and check out my secondary blog, All Roads Lead To Disney! I will be moving to Florida next month (whoa!), and will be posting updates every once and awhile on this blog, as it relates to the Disney College Program. And here are some more shots from the Lake Serene hike:

 

 

 

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An Impulsive Individual

Some days I wonder if my impulsivity will get the best of me. I don't know what it is, but there are times that I simply act without considering the consequences. Or I do think about the consequences, and determine that the corresponding action is worth the risk. Today is one of those days.

I've always been a dreamer. But then again, who isn't? I never like to let reality get in the way of what I want to achieve. Of course, my aspirations have changed over the years. I no longer want a huge house by the water - that's too stationary. The world is calling my name, and adventure is the number one word in my vocabulary.

I'm tired of sitting around, hoping for what may happen. It's time to make things happen, and sometimes that involves taking risks, and spending a fraction of your college savings. Go read my posts Change and Work In Progress to see what dreams I'm making happen. I don't know how this will all turn out, or how my friends and family are going to react. But I do know one thing.

If I affect merely one life for the better, this adventure will be well worth the risk.

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Work In Progress

Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR

Wow, it's been an entire week since I've posted! I wish I could blame that on the fact that I've been super busy lately, but alas, I am simply lazy. And because of this, I still have a ton of unedited bucket list footage. Hopefully that will be completed within the next couple days!

If you recall in my recent post, Change, I want to eventually begin filming short videos and writing corresponding blog posts/articles in an effort to raise awareness for a specific subject, foundation, etc. I am pleased to announce that my very first project is under way! I've teamed up with a very talented musician and vocalist, and we are working on arranging and producing the music that will be in the video! I am very excited, but nervous at the same time. Obviously I've never done anything like this before, and since it is raising awareness for something near and dear to me, I want it to be the best quality possible. I anticipate this project lasting at least a month, if not more, but the finished product will be worth it!

Entering the field of videography/photography is extremely expensive, I must say. I haven't even bought the DSLR camera I want yet, and my wallet is already aching from purchasing some other necessary equipment. Admittedly, I have had to dip into my college savings (it's a good thing I have a job secured for the Fall semester). However, once I have the basic equipment, I will be able to produce endless pieces that will benefit many people. Never have I been so motivated by anything in my life, and that is why I know I'm on the correct track - this is what I'm supposed to be doing right now.

 

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Bloglovin'

Alright, first things first... Check out my awesome new iPod case! I've seen these before online and loved it, but assumed it would be kind of expensive for a case. Finally, I looked it up on Amazon, and it was only $1.87! It was such a steal, I couldn't resist myself. I remember clear as day playing on these things as a kid. There was no way that you could get me to stop playing Pokemon blue edition - I still have it to this day! Although I have since then upgraded to a Gameboy Advance.

Next matter of business, I have some great footage to edit from this past weekend. My friends and I took an hour drive out in order to cross off another bucket list item! But my computer is still being fixed, so I can only hope that I will get it back by the end of the week. Stay tuned!

Now, I've recently discovered this great app/website called Bloglovin'. If you are like me and have a good hand full of blogs that you enjoy reading, this is the best way to get all the recent posts in one place! Simply search a specific blog, follow it (assuming the writer of that blog has registered it with Bloglovin'), and new posts will show up in your news feed. To follow my blog, simply click the "Follow this blog with Bloglovin" button on the left sidebar right under the About Me section, or search "All Roads Lead To Nowhere" in the Bloglovin' search bar. The only downside is that I'm pretty sure you can't view the YouTube videos I post, but other than that, it's wonderfully organized! (My secondary blog, All Roads Lead To Disney!, is also available on Bloglovin'). Much appreciated! And good luck to those of you finishing up final exams, you can do it!

Paranormal Distribution

Haha! Statistics joke.

So, in light of my 300th page view for my blog, I decided to do a bit of statistical analysis. Well, maybe I just looked at the trends in page views since I started posting in October. And here is the breakdown!

• Average page views per month (October - December) = 80
• Month with highest page views = November (86 - I am assuming this is because I had the most posts in this month. Also, I posted one of the posts on my Facebook wall. Hmmm... maybe i'll do that more often).
• Post with most views = Snow Cones (14 - this just so happens to be the Facebook post I mentioned).
• Highest traffic source = Facebook (7 page views - the next highest traffic sources are blocked on my computer...should I be worried?)
• Average page views per day = 3
• Page views today = 3 (what a surprise!)
• Total page views = 300

I don't know about you, but this is very interesting to me. Maybe this is a good sign that I should to into statistics... Anywho, I can make a few inferences from this data and this is what I have learned:

1. Talk about food more often (you all liked the snow cones!)
2. The more I post, the more views I get (coming soon! 5 posts per day!)
3. Continue to unknowingly advertise my blog on blocked websites. 
4. I'm only joking! Maybe.