Rick Langrehr is an Explorer, Author, and Photographer. His global expeditions focus on lost treasures and historical mysteries. Follow "The Explorer's Journal" to join along on his adventures.
Field Notes on Life
Article 8: A Life of Purpose Introduction After all the stories, trials, and turning points, we arrive here, at the convergence. This isn’t the end of the road; it’s the beginning of walking it with full awareness. If you’ve been following this series, you’ve looked back
Field Notes on Life
Article 7: To Know Thyself Introduction Exploration doesn’t always take you across continents. Some of the most challenging terrain you’ll ever chart is inward. In this article, we look at self-knowledge, not as a buzzword, but as a vital tool. Without a compass, a map is useless. Without
Field Notes on Life
Article 6: Legacy and the Long View Introduction When you’re young, legacy feels distant, something for later, maybe even irrelevant. But as we age, and especially after becoming a parent, the idea of what we leave behind begins to take on new weight. Legacy isn’t just about big
Field Notes on Life
Article 5: You Are Not Your Job Title Introduction There are moments in life when our identity feels stripped away, especially after a job loss or a personal failure. We feel adrift because we’ve unknowingly tied our sense of self to a role we played or a title we
Field Notes on Life
Article 4: Using Adventure to Heal and Reset Purpose Introduction There are moments in life that crack us wide open, sudden losses, heartbreak, job collapse, or betrayal. These aren’t the moments we ask for. But they often become the turning points where everything changes, because they force us to
Field Notes on Life
Article 3: The Unmistakable Signs of Flow Introduction We often talk about “finding our path” as if purpose is something we stumble across one day. But what if the real clues are already woven into our lives, quiet moments where we feel completely in sync with who we are? This
Field Notes on Life
Article 2: False Starts and Goal-Adjacent Detours Introduction In the journey toward Ikigai, your reason for being, not every path is a straight shot toward purpose. Sometimes, you think you’ve found it, only to realize you’re orbiting the real thing without ever reaching it. This article explores the
Field Notes on Life
Article 1: Clues from Childhood Introduction This is the first in an eight-part series adapted from pages in my personal journals, travel memoirs, and reflections. It chronicles my own search for Ikigai, Japan’s concept for "a reason for being." These aren’t just stories from my life,
Compendium of Curious Destinations
There are certain memories that stick with you, not just for what they were, but for what they meant. Back in high school, many years ago, a classmate of mine, knowing how much I loved history (especially anything related to ancient Egypt), returned from a family trip to Las Vegas
Compendium of Curious Destinations
From time to time, I like to look back through my old travel journals, handwritten pages inked in the moment, before hindsight could clean things up. This entry comes from 2008: a journey to Cuba, written exactly as I experienced it. If you're looking for polished postcard perfection,
Compendium of Curious Destinations
Sometimes the best place to find perspective is in the past. I was recently flipping through one of my old travel journals and came across my account of a journey I took to Peru. It was a spontaneous trip planned with a good friend after a particularly difficult season in
Gear Guides
Every explorer eventually asks the same question: What do I need to take me further? When it comes to the machines we use to reach the unknown, few things represent the spirit of the adventurer better than the classic off-road vehicle. There are endless ways to outfit a 4x4, and