people change your views, and the view.
my friend jake and i recently embarked on what would end up being a five thousand mile road trip through the starry nights and sun soaked country of the great american west. the initial leg had us gazing upon the glaring white sands of new mexico, the forever breathtaking grand canyon, and towering sandstone behemoths in utah. all places i've been to before, but i was seeing them with completely different eyes.
through the first few days of the road trip i found myself just as excited to see the enjoyment on the face of a friend as i was to be surrounded by the captivating landscape.
the more i travel, the more i talk to new folks and old friends, the more i experience; i've found that even from day to day my perspective on life, love, and happiness can change immensely depending on those who i surround myself with...if i let it.
and that's the hardest part, abandoning old habits and thoughts, and embracing the new. i've been learning this past year that letting others impact you is the best way to grow.
i am not the same person i was yesterday, and tomorrow i will not be the person i was today. to be young is to continually change, adapt and learn, and that is something i hope i never lose.
the biggest reminder of this for me was early on in the road trip. as i watched jake ride his motorcycle through monument valley, hands off the bar, arms spread wide in the wind, i thought of how this image would be burned into my memory forever and how it signified just how much has changed in my life.
he jumped off the bike and said "you've got to ride, this is one of the best days of my life." so i hopped on the motorcycle and rode in to the distance. traveling down the road, two wheels turning as fast as they could underneath me, passing by those iconic john wayne backdrops, i couldn't help but scream at the top of my lungs out of pure happiness and think of the quote "i am not done with the wild songs of youth."