Was flipping through the cracked papers of my journal, when I found this old Journal entry I wrote before I moved West from Upstate New York. It inspired me to keep exploring and keep making life fun. I hope it does the same for you. Cheers! -MP

"I pulled a seat up at the Genesee Alehouse located in the Rochester Airport. Grabbed myself a cold Goose Island IPA and proceeded to admire the empty seats that were all around me. For some reason, this is my favorite time to grab a drink. With no one around, just me, my own thoughts, and the company of the bartender.

Though I like being isolated and having time to think, I am a very outgoing person with terribly awkward jokes that always seem to break the ice. I tried a few out on the bartender and eventually, we began to talk like we had known each other for years.

I had 3 hours till I had to hop on my iron bird out to Boise, Idaho. So our long and pleasant conversation got pretty in-depth. He went on to ask me where I’m heading and why I am heading there. I was a little drawn back by this. I obviously knew where I was heading, but when it came to the question of why, I had no response. Sure, I had plenty of friends out in Boise and the skiing was going to be prime, but what was the actual reason for my exploration?

Instead of answering the question of why, I redirected the question on to him.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

He smiled and went on to explain that he had lived in Rochester for his entire life and had worked at this bar for over ten years. He cracked a joke and said that he set his watch to the rush hours that were coming in waves based on the incoming flights. “I’ve been here so long, I bet ya I could tell you exactly how many people will be here at 3 pm.”

Attempting not to be judgmental, that's when I became envious but dismissive of his lifestyle. He had done something that I don’t see possible in my lifetime. He had become comfortable with normalities. He had begun his cycle of waking up, clocking in, making drinks, clocking out, and going home to go to bed.

It made me realize that this cycle that so many of us fall into, can be enjoyable. After all, my bartender’s smile never left his face. He seemed to love what he did and had no problem saying that this would be the last job that he’d have. I was envious of him for that, especially since I am still currently looking for my place(or places) in this hectic world, and he had already comfortably settled into his.

As more people crowded the bar and his attention came from off of me and onto the new patiently waiting patrons, it gave me time to think about his life after the bar.

I thought when he is with his friends or his wife and they ask him about work, what would his response be? I imagined it would be something generic like, “Oh you know, same old, same old.”

This is where I became dismissive. That “same old” mentality is something I never want to fall into. I want to constantly be chasing something new, something strange, and something that will leave a story to be told. A generic response will never be able to explain the life that I am living.

So through my own question, I answered his original one, “Why are you going there?”

I came to the conclusion that I am going to break that norm, become uncomfortable, and see what this life has to offer. I have come to find that through a spontaneous and adventurous life, you go through a lot of hardships. Through the ugly, we find the beautiful.

I have climbed mountains and skied down them. I have floated rivers and sank in rivers. I have seen the sunrise on the east coast and watched it set on the west coast. I’ve owned dogs that become my best friend, and I’ve seen animals in the wild that could’ve become my worst enemy.

Though I have experienced hardships and moments that I wish I could become comfortable with a “normal routine”. I know for a fact that when someone asks me how I’ve been, my response will never be “same old, same old” and that is why I’m going where I’m going."