Originally Posted on VoyEdgeRx.com May 2017

“Tonight I am camping just outside Nata, a small one street town in northern Botswana, 300km east of Maun. Here, under the stars, the Southern Cross has become a familiar friend. I have come to love this constellation. When I have found it, each night, I have been flooded with a sense of warmth and excitement. It is a nightly ritual of awe and wonder, proof I am truly somewhere else. Under a new sky, under new stars. The Cross has become a landmark of adventure. It marks a milestone along my own path of world and self-exploration.
For those in the northern hemisphere, this celestial beacon beckons you to cross into the foreign southern half. Like a siren song, it calls you from what you’ve once called home to explore a whole world waiting for you. When I look at it now, nestled just below the Milky Way, I see an inspiring promise fulfilled. The world is, in fact, a far bigger place and adventure still does exist for those willing to seize it.
Despite every expedition to almost every corner of the world, there are still quite a few firsts to be had. The most exciting of which are all yours. Wherever you go or whatever you see, you will be the first YOU to ever go and see it! It is YOUR world to discover. I am not the first to ever cross the equator but it is MY first. It is my adventure. What will yours be? Whatever it is, it’s waiting for you. Adventure is out there, the proof is above me. It surrounds me right now in the sights, smells, and sounds of the African twilight.
The choice ahead of you is whether you will seize this “undiscovered” world and where or what will you do next. The world is a wonderful place. I say this from a very unique corner of it but go and find out for yourself. What will your “Cross” be? What will wash over you with the excitement of your five-year-old self just at the mention of it? Whatever THAT is, I guarantee there would be the best place to start.
As for me, instead of looking at the ground for scorpions, I’ll keep looking up and looking forward. The Cross has become the chief idol in my church of adventure, held high in the vaulted ceilings of this wild cathedral. It is a faith which believes there is still wonder in this world, where scripture is a map and new experiences, communion. This is only a beginning. Go forth traveler, and practice your religion”.