RTW Essay Contest
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November 26th, 2007
Last night I submitted my entry for the “Big Trip” essay contest from A Map for Saturday. The winner gets a free around-the-world ticket as well as some other travel goodies. The rules are pretty basic – just write a 400 word essay on why you want to travel/win. I realize my chances of winning this kind of thing are very slim, but I am excited none the less. I tried to do something a little different to try to distinguish my entry. I enjoyed the opportunity to do some creative writing again (been a long time). So without further ado, here is my essay:
So it’s really happening. The months of planning. The endless agonizing over the itinerary. Guidebooks. Budgeting. Passport. Visas. The hours on the phone with the reservations agents. The packing. The re-packing. Counting down the days. It’s all over now. And it has all led up to this moment.
Can it possibly live up to my lofty expectations? How could it? This trip has come to symbolize so much to me. It is my chance to break out. To escape. To explore. It is my opportunity to do something extraordinary. To live my dreams.
And yet, somehow, I know that this experience will exceed all of my expectations. I know that I will see things that most people never see. I will do things that most people never do.
The truth is no matter how much I prepare, I still do not know what to expect. While I can plan out where to go, I can not plan what will happen. That is the beauty of travel: the unknown. It makes me nervous. It makes me excited. It is the reason I travel.
My friends are all rather jealous, of course. Although I suspect that many are less jealous of the trip itself and more jealous of the risk that I have taken. To leave the safety and stability of a good, steady job for the exotic adventure of world travel is something that many dream of but few ever do. Only those who dare to take great risks can ever achieve great things. Perhaps I have been too cautious.
Stepping onto this plane is the first step in a new direction. The first step down a different path in life. One that is less concerned with paychecks and promotions and more focused on enjoying life. On making the most of my time here. On pursuing my dreams. It is the first step down the road less traveled. And that will make all the difference in the world…or so they say.
I board the plane and settle into seat 10A. Window seat. There are butterflies in my stomach. It’s really happening.
As the wheels lift off the ground, I stare out the window and smile, giddy with anticipation.
