I Wonder What it was Like:

In 1769, while Captain James Cook was circumnavigating New Zealand, he landed at this spot to both repair his ship and replenish supplies. Tolaga Bay, where this is located, had already been inhabited by the Maori people for hundreds of years and previously visited by Abel Tasman in 1642. Still, Cook was the first European to circumnavigate and map New Zealand's coastlines.

I travel a lot, especially to New Zealand. About twice a year to be exact. Beyond the business I do there, I have friends who I visit on every trip. And it’s a long journey. First it’s a one hour drive from my house to the airport and a four hour flight from Chicago to Los Angeles. Then a four to five hour layover. My buddy usually picks me up at LAX for a quick chicken wings session while I wait for the next flight. Afterwards he drops me off and it’s on to the next flight. This one’s a bit longer, just a short 12 hour red-eye to Auckland. No biggie. But I’m not done. Once I land at about 6:30AM, and in the future no less, I have another four hour or so layover before the last flight to Gisborne. Boom! All in all it takes me 24 to 30 hours to get from point A to point B. Brutal.

So about 6 months ago I find myself at this beautiful spot pictured above with my buddy Jordan. It took us about an hour to hike to the spot and an hour to hike back. We walked through sheep pastures and forests to get there, the path clearly defined along the way. And all of that, international flight times included, was nothing compared to the navigation, discovery and mapping done by Captain Cook.

And I wonder what it was like.

He had the gumption to get on a ship and just start sailing. He came across islands and continents and humans he never knew existed before. He drew up maps so more people in the future could do the same. He had to find food to survive and bear the elements from storms. Fights break out, people die but he has to keep going. He makes his way from ocean to land and has no path to follow, no road to cross. It's a crazy thing to think about.

Every now and then I like to sit back and think about the photos I have the privilege of taking. And I mean that. The privilege. I'm lucky enough that I own a drone and get to fly it and travel the world and take these photos. How cool is that? Looking at these images gives me the opportunity to reflect on those great experiences. I can humbly say that I am truly grateful for the experiences life has given me.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider upvoting, commenting, resteeming and giving my account a follow. If you have any questions or comments please post them below, I'd love to respond to them.