‘Everywhere I go, I am the first’ – The Martian

We watched the Martian last night at the cinema. I am not usually a huge fan of Matt Damon, but actually really liked the film.

One line especially, which was…

‘Everywhere I go, I am the first’

What a powerful and inspiring line. In his case this revolved around the character being stranded on Mars and therefore constantly in uncharted territory. However it got me thinking, where have I been that no one has ever done before?

My first thoughts were obviously to travel… but alas, although I have been many places – someone has always been already. Even when you look at the Jungles of Monteverde, the remote wilderness of Namibian canyons, or even the sand barrier islands of Mozambique, the probability is that someone has stepped in that very spot before.

Where can you actually go these days that hasn’t already been explored? Parts of the amazon maybe, segments of Antarctica, newly formed Volcanoes in the Pacific, or newly formed glacial cracks? It really is a challenge. Even when you think outside the box with diving, flying or skiing, more than likely someone has already been on that dive location, that ski run or on that flight.

If we widen the parameters slightly, there is a way you can be first to explore a totally unique place, and I have been lucky enough to experience some of there.

• New snow on a mountain.
• A sandy beach once the tides go out.
• That puddle in the middle of the road.

There is something magical about all of these experiences, they are unique, they are all different, as it’s the first time that snow has been there, or that specific water has filled the puddle – and don’t tell me you don’t get that amazing liberating feeling when you walk down a deserted beach on soft sand…

Using this analogy, you can debate the fact that you can be the first to experience that exact place as it is at that exact moment. However, now we are getting a bit too deep! Really I just wanted to share with you the thought of what it would be like to really be the first person to experience a place… Inspirational!

Copy-write for the images used is from 20th Century Fox

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