The World is Bigger Than Your Backyard

Last updated on April 5th, 2021 at 10:53 am

You’re a fool to limit yourself if freedom’s an option.

I started driving later than most, having opted instead to spend ludicrous amounts of time on public transit reading, drawing and sleeping. I wasn’t particularly motivated to save for a car like most suburbanites—there were more than enough things I rather spend my money on: travel; gadgets; lush experiences… why drive when I could do so many other things?

If only I knew then that I’d spend so long being so short-sighted.

Life is Not A Straight Line—Why Live That Way?

In a city as diverse as Toronto, there’s a lot you miss when you stick to the subway line. The Scarborough Bluffs. Sugar Beach. Unlike Mississauga, my hometown that’s utterly residential, Toronto can give you a glimmer of just how much there is out there if you open yourself up to it.

There’s a limit to where public transit can take you. No matter where you are, whether Toronto or Tokyo, you soon find your decisions defined by what’s convenient—not whatever suits you best. Blindly following others’ plans because you’re relying on them for ride. Forgoing things you want to do because they’re simply too hard to get to.

Living a life to the beat of someone else’s drum is simply no way to live.

As a father, it’s my job to role model the lifestyle I want my son to have. I want him to climb mountains. I want him aware that life isn’t fair, and that not only should he appreciate what he has, but that he should share both his time and his resources with those who have less than he does. I want him to see how big this world is with his own eyes… but how can I expect to pull that off if I only stick to the paths others set out for me?

Go Forth and Be Awesome.

The world is bigger than your backyard.

Since I started driving, I’ve begun seeing the world in a different way. Nothing’s “too far” or “out-of-the-way” anymore—now I just need to make the time to do it all, which is far easier when you’re not dependent on a bus schedule.

To all my urbanites out there who abhor the automobile, stop and think about it a little more. There’s so much more in this world than what’s plated up on the easy path, hidden gems you might never find if you cling too tightly to your comforts. Travelling outside of your comfort zone—whether physically, mentally, or emotionally—is the kind of journey that makes its mark on you, offering food for thought you might’ve never sampled otherwise. It’s a mighty big world out there, and it’s up to you how much of it you choose to explore.

So get up, get on your feet and explore — no one’s going to do it for you!

Happy trails,