I’ve been to so many places around the world over these 30+ years.
France, Iceland, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Egypt, China, Taiwan, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and on and on it goes. Not necessarily in the order of preference.
I’ve seen the Eiffel Tower. Checked out the beautiful palace of Versailles. I’ve taken a cruise down the Seine River. Visited the Great Wall.
In the USA, I’ve been to Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Houston, Boston, and you name it. I’ve checked out the beaches of Miami, Millennium Park in Chicago, and the good old Niagara Falls in upstate New York.
I’ve been to Sin City Las Vegas, traversed Zion National Park in Utah, toured Yellowstone and checked out Old Faithful.
Even in NYC, I take for granted being simply a subway ride away from Central Park, Times Square, the Highline, and the Empire State Building.
I’m grateful to have been to so many places around the world. And to be living in one of the most bustling places in NYC. It truly is a blessing. And I’m only in my mid-30’s.
I have to say that whenever life gets me down. Whether it is significant problem or insignificant problem (most of times, it’s insignificant), I use a bit of perspective to appreciate how blessed my life truly is.
Of course, there are still so many places that I’d like to go and check out. I’ve never been to Australia, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Madagascar, Greece, you name it. The places yet to go are endless as well.
I want to visit the beaches of Greece, the mountains of Argentina, the waterfalls of Brazil, and plenty of other exotic places (from my point of view at least) that I haven’t been to.
Even in the USA, I still yearn to some day take a road trip across the USA from New York to San Francisco and back again. And appreciate the mid-west regions of rolling corn fields.
Beyond travel though, I’ve experienced so much tasty food. I know what pizza tastes like. I’ve tasted Kimchi Jigae. Peking Duck. The spicy Sichuan delicacy of Mapo Tofu.
I know what fish tacos taste like. I know what Vietnamese pho tastes like. Japanese Ramen. Curry chicken. And McDonald’s Fish Filet!
I’m getting hungry just thinking about how these gourmet foods will taste in my mouth.
What about extracurricular activities? I know what it’s like to play basketball. I know what it’s like to play the piano. I’ve learned how to play tennis. Go skiing. Go snowboarding. And swimming (badly).
I’ve played the Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Xbox, Playstation and all the wealth of games that go along with it. Resident Evil. Final Fantasy. Super Mario. Smash Brothers!
In basketball, I’ve learned what it feels like to cheer on a team that you love and support (the Brooklyn Nets). And I’ve learned to appreciate the ups and downs that come with every win or loss of the basketball season.
I’ve checked out live basketball games at the Barclays Center. I’ve been to Madison Square Garden.
I know what it’s like to watch a live wrestling match (I know it’s fake). To binge watch Game of Thrones. To taste green tea ice cream. To get bubble tea from the latest hot spots in Chinatown. To go apple picking. To karaoke my heart out.
The point is, I guess, that when I begin to intentionally count my blessings in this life, it truly becomes an endless activity.
Yes, I still have goals that I have not yet achieved. I still have ambitions on improving the business. I still want to develop myself and learn new skills (like playing the guitar, playing the drums, and learning Portuguese).
And of course, the world will get me feeling down sometimes.
But the world is also fabulous with so many adventures and events to experience. You can never have enough in one lifetime.
So, this is just a reminder that when the inevitable annoyance of life comes rolling around, there’s no need to feel sorry for myself. No need for self-pity.
I’ve had it pretty good over these 30+ years of existence. I’ve had my wealth of experiences. And if things get tougher from here on out, so be it.
But it feels like there are still more experiences to be shared. More places to travel to. More dishes to taste. More events to attend. More games to play!
And these experiences are all icing on the cake compared with everything that I’ve already been thru.
There’s no need to prove myself to anyone. There’s no need to struggle to achieve one thing, and then the next thing. There’s no need to strive for some other place that is better than right here.
Count your blessings. I’ve already made it. We’ve all collectively already made it. Every minutia of experience that we gather from here on out, it’s simply that sweet icing on the cake.