Passion takes me places. I pride myself in being consistently random and randomly consistent, attributes which seem to originate my many adventures. Born and raised in a tropical country called Malaysia, I traveled to the United States to pursue a college degree at the age of 19. My passion for travel emerged during my first winter break, when I left the comfort of my dorm room for three weeks despite having nowhere else to stay. What was my plan? Go “See America.”
I swing back and forth between the need for routine and the urge to run wild. The engineer in me appreciates consistency, while the traveler enjoys embarking on spontaneous adventures. This year, I started writing a bucket list of places I want to see but have yet to experience. One of my bucket list items is to visit all 24 national park service units featured in Creative Action Network’s “See America” postcard collection, which I purchased while at the Golden Gate National Recreational Area Visitor Center. I knew I wanted to visit all of these national wonders the moment I bought CAN’s postcard collection. Its seemingly random selection of national parks fed the adventurous side of me, while its organized list of 24 sites appealed to my desire for logic and efficiency.
Since May of this year, my “See America – In Real Life” bucket list has taken me to five postcards locations:
I am left in awe each time I lay my eyes on the Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. The #enginerd in me loves California and New York for their beautifully designed bridges and statues; the unconventional #treehugger in me loves big trees and the woods; and as far as my inner #historian goes, I am slowly but surely learning to appreciate the past and its lessons for the present.
I foresee a couple more postcard experiences before the NPS Centennial anniversary year ends. My future plans include visiting the Yosemite and Joshua Tree National Parks this Fall. I’m struggling to decide between kicking off 2017 at Arches, Carlsbad Caverns, or Saguaro National Park; all are wonderful off-grid destinations to begin the new year!
As a bucket list traveler and new ambassador of National Park Geek (a line of the Department of Nature), I look forward to many more adventures in America’s Best Idea parks. I am thankful for the Creative Action Network and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy for their hard work in compiling the postcard collection that continues to inspires me to “See America – In Real Life.” I hope to inspire all to #FindYourPark!
Originally written by: Linda Mohammad @theBucketListTraveler (instagram)
Edited and revised by: Lauren Morris @LaurenMorris527 (twitter)
