Recently, Paul Salopek, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize and member of National Geographic, decided to go on a trek around the globe that will last seven years. His mission? Trace the path of evolution and the way people have migrated to other parts of the planet starting in central Africa. He has named this trek his ‘Out of Eden Walk‘, and is currently 11 months in. When asked for his reasoning, Salopek replied,
“I hope to repair certain important connections burned through by artificial speed, by inattentiveness. I walk, as everyone does, to see what lies ahead. I walk to remember.“
With a thirst for knowledge and burning determination, Paul has experienced loneliness and hunger, but wonder and discovery just as the peoples who first roamed those lands did too. (View this article on Huffington Post.)
Many have called Paul crazy or insane, as this 21,000 mile walk is completely voluntary on his part. Although, it is a completely valid adventure. The human thirst for understanding the unknown and discovery is what led us to marvelous technologies and infrastructure. Had the first people not ventured out of their caves to explore what was beyond their walls, we would have never had civilization.
Somewhere along the way, this adventure was halted. We introduced religion and societal rules to dictate what we should believe in and what we shouldn’t even think about. For years and years, those who have dared think outside the box and want to know more were rewarded by being stoned or tried and executed. Recently, people have been trying to rekindle this spirit. Without younger generations taking an interest in discovering, we will never have the chance to achieve a cure for cancer or discover the millions of unidentified species on our planet.
When was the last time you satisfied your hunger for knowledge or satiated your burning curiosity? There is no such thing as asking too many questions. Questioning everything is how we make progress. Don’t accept what’s given to you, discover the answer for yourself. Although you don’t have to go on a seven year walk around the globe, the first step is out your front door. After that, the distance you travel is only limited by your own imagination.
Get out there and start exploring.
Have a safe journey!