I’m Here To Convince You That Experiences Will Always Be Better Than Things

We all spend our money in different ways. Some people are proper adults and choose to invest, while others enjoy treating themselves to designer handbags and new clothes every season. But if you’re anything like me, every extra dollar goes to a plane ticket. There’s a lot of world out there to see.

I’ve never been so happy to ruin a blowout. Keep reading to learn about the adventure I was on this past Monday. Photo cred: my iPhone + selfie stick

I’ll never get tired of a 4am wakeup call to get to the airport when I’m going somewhere exciting. There’s just something about the unknown adventure that has me jumping out of bed and rolling my suitcase out the door as fast as I possibly can.

The truth is, you haven’t truly lived until you’ve experienced amazing places you’ve never been before.

I’ll be the first to admit that I have furniture from the flea market and half my clothes are from TJ Maxx or Target. My car has a dent in the bumper that I’ll probably never spend $1000 to fix and my everyday handbag desperately needs to be replaced. But on the flip side, I have left the state of Tennessee sixteen times in the past year. (I just scrolled through my Instagram to count my adventures!) Some were by way of car, but mostly plane.

I don’t regret spending one dollar on any of the adventures I’ve been on.

When I’m 75 years old, will I remember the $200 dress I bought and wore once to a wedding? No. But I will still be talking about that time I went to Vegas for my 30th birthday or swam in a swimming hole at the base of a waterfall. I’m living proof that experiences will always be better than things.

This past weekend, I went to visit my best friend Cara in Scottsdale for her 30th birthday. We did the whole get dressed up, go to an expensive dinner, and go out on the town thing Saturday night. We spent Sunday watching football and consuming way too many calories. But on Monday, we drove two hours to northern Arizona and discovered an unbelievably beautiful stream called Fossil Creek near Strawberry, AZ.

We hiked for nearly two hours upstream, dodging cacti and getting poked with thorn bushes and tripping over rocks. When we finally ended at the waterfall, we dove into the swimming hole like mermaids and gladly ruined the fresh blowouts we got just two days prior.

The water was as clear as a chlorine pool and the waterfall was unlike any other I’d seen before.

It was like being in a fairy tale, except it was real life and we didn’t really spend any money to enjoy it.

It’s experiences like Fossil Creek that have given me an unbelievable appreciation for this beautiful world God has created, and that’s why I always have the urge to experience someplace new.

So next time you think you need a new outfit you’ll for wear for three hours to some boring event, borrow something from a friend and book a flight somewhere you’ve never been instead. Go search on Kayak! And if you can’t afford a plane ticket, you can always get in your car and discover something about your home state that you’ve never seen. I know you’ll be thanking me later.

P.S- Check out the video from our Fossil Creek adventure here. (You won’t want to miss Cara’s cliff jumping!) And if you need guidance on where to visit next, I’m happy to give my recommendations! Shoot me an email- deidre@lefttowriteblog.com