One thing I’ve learned from travelling is this: It is important to find out what makes you happy, early in life. It may end up being something boring or unsexy; adventurous or flighty. But find out. Life has so many options that if you don’t know what truly matters to you; you will become distracted and end up chasing after many things that don’t matter.

Sometimes, we have a script about life in our heads, because we’ve watched too many movies and read too many books. When I travel, I see quite a few people playing out those scripts by doing seemingly obligatory things; like hiking in Yosemite or gambling in Vegas. Things they are not really enjoying but do anyway. I do it too.

Our lives can so easily become an insatiable chase for the images we’ve been sold in the media. Very few things are our own authentic journey of exploration and happiness. It’s only when we pause to think that we realise, “But wait. This life script I’m chasing wasn’t written by me and doesn’t really make me happy.”