Write to remember.

First and foremost, for my first blog post, I will write about writing. If you are anything like me, you must have terrible memory. Even as a child I hated being forced to memorize information just to regurgitate back for school. (Un)fortunately some memories are worth keeping. Detail is key and every bit of it can help us build our identity and our passion. As I got older, I learned to value these bits of memories. Sadly...I can't just send an owl to Dumbledore to find me a pensieve. The best that a muggle like myself can do is write his thoughts and experiences down for later recollection.

Remembering every detail of a certain moment in time is difficult even for someone with amazing memory. This is why I took on photography as a hobby many years ago; it wasn't to create beautiful "works of art." I wanted to capture the moment the way I experienced it. Unfortunately, photographs often do not do justice for some of the amazing breathtaking views that I have been privileged to witness. Also, videos of friends fooling around is fun to watch but it is also limiting. 

I now turn to writing. I try to log my experiences when I travel and my 2014 new years resolution is to write 3 pages of anything everyday. This has been proven to be difficult for me as my life is not very exciting. But, when you are away from home visiting new places, you spend a lot of time thinking to yourself. On the trail, on a train, or on the road, you have a lot of time to yourself. For me, I like to discuss things with people around me. Meet new people on the road or at a bar. Share ideas and thoughts with my travel buddies. Waste countless hours with friends talking about the "meaning of life"(?). All in all, it brings out different parts of ourselves; you learn about others as well as yourself. My advice to you is to write these thoughts down. Record this fluid process of your consciousness. A single vista can strike you with thoughts and memories. These are valuable experiences that must be stored somehow. All you need is a pen and a notebook. 10-15 years down the road, this may be the most valuable 300g. that was in your pack on the trail.