> What did you find at the end? Was it nothing? Because that's what I found.
I wasn't "looking" for anything, other than to enjoy my life. I enjoyed those 2 years immensely, and without a doubt in my mind, more than I would have if I stayed at work "on autopilot". That's why I did it - because I wanted to. It's the same reason you (or anyone) has ever done anything in their life above bare survival. Because you want to.
>You're not better than them
I've never once thought that for even a second. Actually, I learned on the drive to look at life (mine and others) from a whole bunch of different perspectives. Never do I think in terms of "better or worse", always "different". Just because people are doing something I don't want to, that doesn't make my way "better", not by a long shot. It just means my choices are different than theirs.
> If everyone was going out to do and chase whatever it is they want there will be no room for you. Ordered society will succumb to chaos and nothing will be done
Interesting you should say that. This was one of the greatest lessons I learned on the whole drive: At the start of Latin America (Mexico) I wondered why people were so "lazy" and relaxed all day with friends and family while the roof on their house leaked. I continually thought of ways to try and make stuff better (in the western sense of the development, etc.) After 18 months, and many hours pondering and discussing, my Spanish was finally good enough to have a great conversation about it. A guy in Argentina described it to me brilliantly. The difference is credit. In the first world, when we want for example and iPhone, we go and put it on our credit card (or monthly payments) then work for the next couple of years to pay it back. The connection between how much you have to work for the iPhone and the joy of owning the iPhone is very fuzzy. Our society doesn't want us to make that connection, because it needs us to keep buying stuff, and keep going to work. In the second and third world, nobody can get credit, so if you want an iPhone, you have to go to work for a year, save like mad, then buy it outright. Let's be honest, after a week of full time work any sane person is going to seriously question if they want a stupid iPhone, realize it's not worth it, so they'll go back to working the bare minimum and relaxing with friends and family. The end result is that people in second and third world countries have way less stuff, but have way more time with friends and family. Also it's worth noting that society doesn't "collapse". People still have a roof, food, clothes and happiness. I think about this every day.
> you might find that the steady ones, the one that did everything they were told, might end up being the ones that have the most.
The most what?
As an aside, do you live in Alaska as your username suggests? I live in Whitehorse, Yukon these days.