''It Takes Two To Travel'' September 14 2016

A real life story from Luke Garone

Growing up I was taught that the true path to success was graduating from college and landing a great job. I was taught that working 40-60 hour weeks in a windowless building would lead to happiness. Following what I was taught, I graduated with an engineering degree and landed that great corporate job. It only took 6 months before I realized something was missing in my life. I yearned for more than fluorescent lights and meeting; for more than power point presentations and endless email chains. I clearly wasn’t happy…I was depressed.

Instead of letting my job and depression swallow me up, I decided to take action.  I called my brother up and told him I needed some adventure in my life. That weekend we took off on a road trip to explore some of the natural wonders in my state. Even though it was only a day trip, I knew I was hooked. I knew traveling would be the new hobby to consume my spare time (sorry Netflix).

Over the next month I began hiking and traveling as much as I could.  Unfortunately for me, not too many people around me were interested in traveling. Then Laura came into my life. Even though we didn’t know each other too well, she was always interested in exploring the local areas. The more we explored, the closer we became. Before we knew it, we were planning weekend getaways as a couple.

About six months into our relationship, we set out on a road trip around Arizona and Utah. This trip has easily had the biggest impact on me of any trip I’ve ever taken. The trip was filled with amazing scenery and natural landmarks that some only dream of seeing. To me though, this wasn’t the best part of the trip. Having a companion by my side to share the experience meant more than any of the landmarks that I saw.  It may sound cheesy but this is truly how I felt during the trip and how I still feel now. 

This trip made me realize that traveling is more than just seeing the amazing views at the end of a hike or the crazy rock formations created from thousands of years of erosion. Traveling, at least to me, is about making memories.  At the end of the day, I will always have the pictures from my trips, but the story behind them is what truly makes traveling so fun to me.