Major reasons for making dineros

One thing I've never really understood is the concept of "Saving money for the sake of saving money." Don't get me wrong, I think it's great to save money. Basically, I don't understand accumulating discretionary income (The amount of an individual's income that is left for spending, investing or saving after taxes and personal necessities (such as food, shelter, and clothing) have been paid) just for the sake of accumulating discretionary income.

The way I see it, I want to save for something. The same way some people save for their kids' education, some people save to invest in property, some people save to buy a Maserati. Many, many reasons. (NB: I don't really see "Saving for medical emergencies" as discretionary income per se. To me, it's more of a necessity sort of thing, which is why I don't include emergency savings in here) Essentially, what I'm saying is, there's no point having money just for the sake of having money. It would be like having a blog for the sake of just having a blog (oh wait, nevermind).

So, why do I save then? Right now, I don't have any obligations. And I'm not so sure that I should be saving for marriage and kids given that Emma Watson still only knows me spiritually. As of now, there are two major things that I save for - Grad school and Wanderlust.

Gratuitous Alexis Bledel picture:-


I would talk about Grad school plans but I don't want to drive away an already limited readership. So, I shall talk about travel.

Again, probably overthinking things as per usual, but there are multiple reasons for travel. Some people want to see iconic wonders, man made or natural. Some people want to visit the best beaches. Some people want to go shopping. Some people want to immerse themselves in culture. All well and good. For me, it's adventure.

If you've read my post on my top fictional characters, you'll know that I love Scrooge McDuck. Scrooge McDuck is the so-called "greatest adventurer" the world has ever known. And he has been to the Yukon, the Klondike, the Mississippi, the Badlands, the Transvaal, the Australian Downs. All in pursuit of wealth (which is ironic here, because I'm using wealth to pursue these places) and along the way, experiencing great adventure.

I want to go somewhere where there is adventure to be found. Where I'll feel like I'm exploring somewhat-unexplored terrain or sailing somewhat-unchartered waters. While yes, I take the point that going anywhere new is kind of an adventure in and of itself, but I want more than that. For those of you who don't know, my reasoning as to why I love reading adventure fiction or watching adventure movies is because I think I lack those in my life, so I try to live vicariously, though unsuccessfully, through the adventures of others (Actually, this is my theory as to why people love the genre of fictional books they read or love the genre of fictional movies they watch).

So, yes, I want adventure of a rip-roaring kind. Where there are trails to blaze and sights of wonder (in nature, mostly) to behold. Not that you can't do this by exploring the various nooks and crannies of New York City, but I think there's a difference when you try and traverse into a theme (this will make sense as we go along). So, behold - the top 5 adventures in the world to which I must travel before I die (assuming a lifespan of 40 years).

Honourable mentions:-

Exploring the Badlands National Park in South Dakota


Learning to be a Cowboy at a Dude Ranch (inspired by Modern Family)

Is this not just breathtaking? Potential honeymoon (if any) spot

Hiking the Himalayan trail (this is a real picture)

I find it most difficult to doubt the existence of a higher being when I see something like this. I could just sit there and just ponder on life, the universe, everything for hours.

Anyway, the top 5:-

5. A road trip into the Australian Outback


I love road trips. The open road. Being together with your best travel companions (note that I said travel companions, not friends - Road Trips can actually make or break friendships. Choose your travel companions wisely). I think, in any road trip, you learn something new about yourself. So, why the Australian Outback? I read somewhere before that the Australian Outback is where you can see the most stars of anywhere in the world. That's why.

4. A mule-back trip into the Grand Canyon


Allow me to make the joke for you - "Yeah, I don't think they can find any mule to carry you." Okay, now that that's out of the way, asshole, after I saw this one question on a travel website - "Would you like to find out for yourself how deep the Grand Canyon is?" - I was utterly and completely hooked. (I could Google this but that's blue-balling the travel plans) Plus, how badass would this be? I would totally feel like Gandalf and (some of) the Fellowship, riding along a path, except I would have a mule, not a horse.

3. Hiking the Inca Trail in Machu Picchu


I sometimes like to think of myself as a pseudo-history buff. I enjoy reading and learning about history, I enjoy thinking about history, I enjoy linking historical events to current day events but I would never take it as a job or a major (if I were still studying). And past civilisations and empires fascinate me the most (the fascination with empires is part of my "dark overlord" ambitions). Hence, the Inca empire. The thing that strikes me most about the Machu Picchu trail is the network and connectivity that the Incans built way back in the day. Simply astounding.

Plus, how badass would it be to hike along this, feeling like the Fellowship of the Ring making their way from Rivendell to, say, Moria?

2. Travelling by train (potentially Trans-Siberian) across the Silk Road


So, I love history. I love empires. And what better way to see the remains of old empires than the Silk Road? Beginning with the Chinese and travelling on to the Persian and finally, to the Ottomans (FYI, the Turkish National Statistics Office has data from the Ottoman empire - how dorky/awesome is that?). Plus, imagine the landscape changes as you move west along the Silk Road and/or the Trans-Siberian - deserts, prairies, the Eurasian Steppe, mountains. Absolutely brilliant.

1. Braving the Poles


And top of the lists are the Pole-lands. Okay, sorry. I apologise for that. I apologise to the North Pole, the South Pole, Poland and humanity for that travesty.

But anyway, if there are going to be spots which are the least unchartered in the world, it's probably not a stretch to suggest that these would be the magnetic poles. And by damn, I want to visit the poles, particularly the South Pole. Why? Because if I went there, I would know that I have stepped foot in a place where less than 0.1% of all humanity that has ever existed has ever been. That blows my mind.

As for the North Pole, I want to see the Northern Lights (trip currently being planned). I think that if I see the Northern Lights in person for myself, I would be seriously tempted to believe in the existence of a higher being. Plus, braving the cold, the snow, the ice is like when the Fellowship of the Ring braved the mountains of Caradhras.

There we have it - where my bouts of wanderlust will likely take me. If any of these fit into your travel plans, we can undergo each other's interviews for "Travel Companion" positions. And, to go back to the notion of a "theme", if you've thought about it, the common theme is exploring nature and history through fairly off-the-beaten-track methodologies (and trying to feel like the Fellowship of the Ring). I think these 5 alone would give me enough adventure memories for as long as I live. And if I get to do the Honourable Mentions too, then well, I bet I could totally make Indiana Jones super jealous.