Don't Be Afraid to Try New Things!

One of the biggest things that will substantially limit your experience when traveling is a fear of the unknown. Traveling is hard, it's uncomfortable, and there are many times during some trips where you will ask yourself if it is even worth it. Don't let this get you down! Embrace the unknown, because you never know what lies on the other side. Making the choice to overcome your fear of the unknown can lead to things as simple as finding a new favorite food, or as radical as making new career choices and forging life-long friendships.

Case in point, here are some pictures from my trip to Indonesia recently. Mt. Agung was actively erupting, flights were getting canceled left and right, and we had no idea if we would even be able to fly into Bali let alone go to popular tourist locations. Despite this, we pulled the trigger, booked the flights and Airbnb's and went anyway. As I have come to learn, sometimes it is better to just figure things out once you get on the road. I had one of the best experiences of my life on this trip, and that wouldn't have been possible if I wasn't willing to tackle my fears of uncertainty and the unknown.

A picture of my friend Dan slogging up Mt. Rinjani. This was after waking up at 2 AM to hike about three hours so we would be able to see the sunrise.

A long exposure of the stars that I took while hiking up the mountain. This picture doesn't nearly do it justice.

My view of Mt. Agung from a beach on Gili Trawangan. This sunset was unreal.