From Sandcastles to Sphinxes: Raising an Explorer
Every explorer is drawn to travel and the search for discoveries to satiate their own curiosity; this is certainly true. However, there is another side to that same coin. They have the desire to document and share their findings and experiences with others. Be it to educate, entertain, or inspire. It is also natural for a parent to want to share their interests and passions with their children. So it’s little wonder my daughter’s first onesie had “Mini Explorer” written across the front.
Every time a younger, would-be explorer reaches out to me on social media or by email for advice (it happens more often than you may think), it makes me smile. I am happy that the pictures, words, and films I have shared with the world have inspired the next generation on some level. With my daughter, the influence is more direct. Instead of sand castles, we build beachside versions of the Giza Plateau.
Her first Christmas present was a Fisher Price globe, followed by Lara Croft and National Geographic-themed Barbies, complete with a Jeep for their adventures. I have taught her camping skills, we have taken her to a pirate show in South Carolina, and a pirate museum in Florida. She has visited a full-sized re-creation of Magellan’s ship, the Trinidad. She has followed in the footsteps of Juan Ponce de León. She is likely the only child in the history of Kindergarten who knew the story of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and the first European settlement in America.
Even her name, Maya, was chosen with purpose. Just before her birth, I was researching and exploring in the Mayan Jungles of Guatemala. For my part, I agreed to the name, given my work at the time. The added bonus is that it is the name of Buddha’s mother, an Indian Queen, and my daughter is half-Indian. I am not sure what Maya will ultimately choose to do with her life, though all I can do is hope that she discovers her authentic self and finds genuine purpose. That is, in fact, what I hope for each and every one of you. Not everyone will end up choosing the path of the explorer; however, I feel teaching the value of perceiving the world through open and inquisitive eyes is undoubtedly worthwhile. Maybe my daughter won’t follow in my footsteps. But if she learns to question, to observe, and to stay curious, then I’ll know the spirit of exploration lives on.
While the modern world pushes us to conform, relinquish our freedoms, and tote the given narrative, more than ever, we need independent souls who will approach life with a bold stance and search for their own answers. Exploration is a fundamental aspect of human nature, one which we should not ignore, no matter what field you find yourself in. You don’t have to cross oceans to be an explorer. Whether your path leads you through forgotten ruins, science labs, studios, or classrooms, approach it with wonder and keep moving the world forward. Every moment you choose curiosity over comfort, wonder over assumption, and truth over ease, you chart new ground.
