What’s a movie or book that inspired you to travel?

By Nevil Shute. It’s about Alice Springs in Australia & set during the second world war. It’s overall a very well written book that I read sometime between high school & Uni.

In 2014 I got lucky enough to see Alice Springs & Uluru. It was quite surreal to be there & to see Alice in person. The red sand of the Australian Outback was smooth to walk on.

Nevil Shutes book is one of the best books I’ve ever read. What has inspired you to travel?

Do you think we’re shaped more by our experiences or by who we are?

I believe that we’re shaped by who we are & our experience. It comes down to the environment & experience. If you grow up around toxic people you too can become toxic.

I grew up with alcoholism & abuse but decided in my 20’s to seek therapy. Trauma therapy. Showing me that both sex & alcohol can make trauma worse. So I cut out both for over a year. It’s something I don’t feel guilty about anymore but at the time people who didn’t understand what I was going through called me names & prude came up quite often.

To this I think it helped see red flags in my friendships & my relationships. Flags I’d ignore if it wasn’t for therapy. I no longer find highly drunk/high people interesting rather I feel sorry for them & their battle to stay sober.

I think we’re definitely formed by both the environment & experience you can choose a healthy path or a toxic one? However, if you’re toxic I don’t want your addiction or lack of respect & boundaries in my sphere. Because I’ve grown & people that don’t grow become stagnant & in the end toxic.

Are you a lifelong learner?

I believe I’m a lifelong learner because society & the world teaches us new things. If they’re good/bad they’re all life lessons.

By accepting this you also grow as a person. But if you fight it, well then you don’t learn. I worry about this with people fighting addiction, I mean the hard stuff, such as meth/heroin/cocaine. If it harms you Why continue? Because the sensation the drugs gives them is stronger than their ability to get help & stop.

It’s like a boy man spreading false rumors, it becomes a game of telephone & each time someone repeats it, it takes on another dimension. None of it is true but to the people that aren’t mature enough to see through it. So, whenever I hear something that’s outrageous I take a look at the person/people who said it.

If they’re not believable then I choose as a mature adult to not pass it on. That’s called being a grown up. If you spread it you may as well be in grade school & you lack maturity.

That’s why I believe in lifelong learning. By not listening to smack you show that you’re worthy of being called an adult. If you spread the smack you should expect a call from my attorney.