Early Exit EXPLORER

This week was pretty interesting—filled with laughs, concerns, more lessons, and even finding a second, third, and fourth gear while climbing a mountain on a hike. But what I really want to talk about is being grateful.

I was having a relaxation day at a spa, and the TV was on, showing a Netflix show about someone winning an inheritance. A woman was sitting right next to me while it was playing, so I asked her, “What would you do if you won a million dollars?”

Her answer broke my heart. She said she would buy a refrigerator—because she doesn’t have one. It took me a minute to fully comprehend what she just said. I didn’t even know how to respond. She went on to tell me that what I had just spent at the spa—$220—is what she makes in an entire month.

It really hit me. As Americans, we’re always chasing more, even though most of the time we already have everything we need. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to want more, but it can make us look greedy when there are people in other countries begging for the things we take for granted.

That moment was truly humbling, and it’s something I’ll carry with me moving forward.