Why is it we’re always trying to get somewhere we’re not?
I was riding a ski lift at Heavenly the other day with a friendly couple, both Tahoe natives. The woman told me about a Brazilian man they met on a lift who made a spontaneous decision to cut his business trip short to experience Tahoe.
“He was like a kid on Christmas,” she said. “He couldn’t believe how beautiful Tahoe was. Big smile, eyes lighting up like he was opening presents or something. We get so jaded living here. Sometimes we don’t realize how lucky we are.”
We get so jaded.
I’ve met so many people over the years who live somewhere beautiful and “can’t wait to get outta here.” I get it. You’re from there. You want to expand your horizons.
Stop to smell the roses for a second, though. Take a deep breath. Look around you.
If you live somewhere beautiful, be grateful every single day. If millions of people vacation where you live, nobody wants to hear about your eagerness to leave.
Even if you don’t live somewhere as stunning as Lake Tahoe, I’m sure you can find beauty in the place.
So go on, experience the world. Take it all in. But be “like a kid on Christmas” when you get home.
Here’s my jam of the day to help you appreciate home even more:
eric murtaugh 
Well said. I’m lucky to live where I do as well as travel. I still haven’t explored all the beautiful places within an easy five hour drive of my home….some places only one or two hours away. Ah, the guilt, but we’re working on it. Love, love the Tahoe area!
“I still haven’t explored all the beautiful places within an easy five hour drive of my home….some places only one or two hours away. Ah, the guilt, but we’re working on it.”
Guilt? I’d say thrill. Living somewhere that requires a lifetime to explore is pretty cool in my book.
Looks like you guys are in Sedona! Did you haul the RV down the 89? I’ve always thought that would be a treacherous adventure.
Great post – love the sentiment behind it. I didn;t choose to live where I am and um..can;t wait to get out of here… but thats mostly about other things then whats here – there are a lot of beautiful things in this state that I have never seen but I plan to – I have also learned that if you can find something good – life isn’t as dreary as when you live with the I hate this place can;t wait to leave – jaded attitude. there is always something to be thankful for..
Oh dang – I so thought i answered you … I don;t hate AZ.. I hate the circumstances that brought me here and the fact I have not been able to go explore nor adjust to the desert seasons – I don;t like that there are 6 ft high cinderblock walls between every house although i have discovered there is some good to that 😉 and the thing that I hate has nothing to do with AZ per se… its the ac.. this last summer the worst ever – the noise and the feel of the air moving and byAugust the canned air feel – being outside and barely being able to keep clothes on its so hot and going inside and having to wear a sweater
but the noise – the constant hum and whine is a trigger and i am miserable mid summer – the fact that people here turn them on in April (I always wait til May) and turn them off Mid -October.. I hear music in vents and my brain is desperate to get away from it by Aug.. as far as places to live and the beauty and having things to see… AZ rocks.. I just need to get rolling and take advantage … I would rather live ..in Flag or Tucson even.. the heat here never lets up in the summer becasue of all the concrete and manmade crap… so there it is.. . 🙂
i hear you. We (Lori and I) sometimes forget how lucky we are to be where we are.
You two picked a nice place to live, that’s for sure. One of these days I’ll have to check out Alberta. How are things John?
So Eric, are you saying I should learn to appreciate pairs of 40 foot tall cowboy boots, and I should always remember to Remember The Alamo? 😉
Joking aside, your post is right on! We often overlook our own back yard. As a non-Texan living in San Antonio I do appreciate all the coolness directly surrounding me; the unmistakable Tex-Mex culture, the amazingly good food, the music, The River Walk, the mashing of two languages, Texas sunsets, margaritas unsurpassed, not to forget the incredible Texas Hill Country, the Rio Grande Valley, and cowboys. Lots and lots of cowboys!!!
Great reminder Eric!!
Yeeha! Count me in!
Googling Bad Breaks right now!
If you’re Italian it’s easier not to get jaded….I think they just enjoy life more than Americans.
We really do have to see the beauty around us; I’ve miraculously been able to do that where I live…all I’ll say is I’m 60 miles east of San Francisco 🙂
Eric — this is so true. I live in Colorado and ski every weekend and I was complaining the other day about how it was cold and I didn’t feel like going and blah…blah…blah… Fortunately, I did remember, at least for a moment, that people do pay good money to fly to where I live to ski and then raft in the summer. I believe I was also whining about rafting every weekend (poor me) this past summer. Thanks for reminding me about the paradise in which I live. Thank you also for stopping by Travel Oops! Steph