It's no secret that our world has lost much of its mystical beauty. There is no place to experience the sense of discovery of Christopher Columbus or Lewis and Clarke. There is no magic, no superstition, no myths. The world is in a transient state, waiting for the cold logic of science to fill all the gaps and sing her sweetly off to bed. To everyone who subconsciously feels this intrinsic sadness, this overwhelming weltschmerz, I have a solution: Consider that your voyage in life, if it is anything, is a subjective stroll through a novel and foreign environment. Treat every subtleness, every new sensation, both physical and mental, as an illumination upon your body and mind. Disregard the countless other supposed 'people' who have been there before you, experienced that before you, given it a name. On your journey, you must relish the uniqueness in every new experience, and treat it as one might who stumbled upon an uncharted treasure. For the truth is you are not obliged to let the legacy of others impose on your will. Guard your peace of mind, be steadfast in your resolve, and discover!
P.S. One practical tip I find helps is to avoid doing too much research about something before you experience it. Whether its travelling, reading, eating, whatever, the less you go in with, the more the experience is your own.
In the spirit of discovery, I have posted some pictures below of me discovering places. As far as I know, they did not exist before I got there! ;-)
Rochester, NY and Seqouia National Park
The Great Western Divide
Death Valley
Castaic Lake
Lake Tahoe
Los Angeles
Yosemite Valley
Alta Peak
Stony Point and The Zion Narrows
Zion Canyon
Bryce Canyon
Joshua Tree
Queen Mountain and San Gorgonio Peak
The Castle Domes
Dollar Lake
Squamish
Smith Rock
Southern California
Mount Hood
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