I saw this sticker on a pipe in Tallinn, Estonia. I think it reflects my philosophy over the past several weeks planning for and during this trip to the Baltic states.

“Safe mode” is a term used in computer operating systems.  Computers that boot into safe mode have limited application functionality.  It is used primarily to diagnose problems, but is not intended to be the primary boot mode.

Too many people are living their lives in safe mode.  Just like computers have limited functionality in safe mode, people living their lives in safe mode aren’t living their lives to the fullest.

There are people who go to Disneyworld every year because they have always lived that way.  They never get out of their safe zone.  My cousin, who goes to Disneyworld annually on vacation, made mention to me that I must be very brave to go to such unusual countries like I did on this last trip. I kinda downplayed my trip in our conversation saying these countries, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania are civilized and are part of the EU.  They are most definitely not 3rd world.

Why did I pick the Baltic States?  It was a cheap plane ticket.  It was a desire to see places many Americans had not seen.  It was chance to get off the beaten path.  Most of all it was to challenge myself to see if I really could navigate a foreign country where English is not always spoken.

In some ways I feel ever so often I leave safe mode and enter into a challenge.  I’ll sum it up in this quote from Gravity.

Listen, do you wanna go back, or do you wanna stay here? I get it. It’s nice up here. You can just shut down all the systems, turn out all the lights, and just close your eyes and tune out everyone. There’s nobody up here that can hurt you. It’s safe. I mean, what’s the point of going on? What’s the point of living? Your kid died. Doesn’t get any rougher than that. But still, it’s a matter of what you do now. If you decide to go, then you gotta just get on with it. Sit back, enjoy the ride. You gotta plant both your feet on the ground and start livin’ life. Hey, Ryan? It’s time to go home.

Why do I travel?  I want to see the world.  I want to experience new things.  But I think it’s important that I challenge myself ever so often in order to fulfill dreams.