As someone who spent a significant amount of time and money studying history in college, as well as a significant amount of time trying to find an employer who would actually hire a history major, I have always harbored a great jealousy towards the great explorers throughout history.
Genghis Khan, Magellan, Christopher Columbus, Charles Darwin…these guys had the life. Sure they faced a lot of danger and uncertainty, but they also explored during a time when not much was known about the world. They traveled in a time when it was impossible to pick up a travel guide for a far away land or to check out message boards for valuable travel tips. Their world was largely a mystery and their job was to solve it.
These days the world is a small place and finding a location that hasn’t been explored already is a challenge. There is a well beaten tourist path in even the remote corners of the globe, which makes it easier to plan a trip but also takes away from some of the excitement.
Even with this being the case, doing an around the world trip is something that will lead to new discoveries. No, you won’t discover a new land or have a country named after you, but you will discover something just as valuable. You will discover what is inside you, and that is one of the most important discoveries any of us can ever make.
Some people claim the world is actually round. Some people also claim that Britney Spears produces enjoyable music. I’m skeptical on both counts, but at least with the world being round theory you can test it out without putting your eardrums through torture.