The Lake of Tobias

The summer before my college graduation, I went to Lake Tobias. Prior to taking the hour drive from my house to see this place, I heard very good things about the open-air museums and the abilities to pet the local animals. I didn't actually know it would be as insane as it was. I knew that I was in for a day full of petting animals and seeing wild things that normally don't grow anywhere close to the United States, but I didn't know exactly what it would entail.

The Story begins with the late JR Tobias. He originally wanted to go to college to study agriculture in animals, but instead became an officer in the Marines. He always disturbed Safari cruises when he could, and told many that only Wildlife Park was just a wild dream he had for after retirement. After owning several small successful businesses throughout his adult life while raising his seven children, that dream became reality. He was sent on a business trip out of the country, and returns home with some endangered animals that he had rescued from harsh living conditions in captivity or in their home environment. After approving all of them with the USDA, they were all permitted to stay in the states, and Tobias opened his State Park in 1965.

That he passed in 1996, his wife still makes her rounds every morning and evening, and even in her advanced age, continues to take care of the property and her late husband's stead. She became very good at managing the books, managing the animals, so you can go out new opportunities for Partnerships, and ultimately did a whole lot of outrage that would make her husband shed a tear. Concurrently, the interactiveness at this zoo and the friendliness of the staff and the animals are what made me determines to go.

Upon arrival, we first noticed how the prices were much cheaper than any National Zoo we'd ever been to. On top of this, there was a safari tour that we could go on for $5, which way of course had to do. As soon as we parked our car, we were getting into a Range Rover and heading out to talk to some animals. Because of a lot of us having food on us, almost all of the wildlife came up to us and said hello, and I almost got a couple of selfies with some of the animals. They always ended up looking away at the last minute though. On the list were oxen, bison, Impalas, deer, Orynxes, and a whole lot of other interesting mammals from all around the world. He also had emus and cassowaries.

In the main part of the exhibition, there was a petting zoo, where we could go and pet lots of cute furry creatures. I interacted with a llama, and alpaca, a sheep, a goat or two, and a camel. After this, we moved on to the other parts of the exhibit where I got to interact and play with a snake, a baby crocodile, and a baby porcupine.

There's a lot to see and do it this little zoo, and unlike a lot of commercialized zoos nowadays, the animals here are deeply respected and treasured by the staff their work with them. The animals were genuinely happy here. For about 20 bucks, you get a small bite to eat, Safari tour, and admission to the zoo for the day. You also get access to all of the free events and discussions that they have during the day. There really is no better deal for a beautiful peaceful day on the placid Lake Tobias.

Why I (Might) Have Wanderlust

Wanderlust is marked by an intense curiosity for the world around you. While some may see it as a setback to being an average human being, others to see it as a blessing. I am amongst those who consider it to be a blessing. In this post, I'm going to try and nail down why I, as well as some of you, maybe having these feelings.

1) Genetics.

The DRD4-7R gene that is present in some of us is associated with curiosity and restlessness, so there could very well be a genetic component to my curiosity about the world around me. I've always known myself to be a curious individual as well, so nothing has changed in that regard. If anything, the desires to explore and understand this world have grown stronger.

2) Boredom.

Chances are, like me, you also came from a small town. In that small town, there was probably very little to do besides hang out with the same three people and play video games. It probably got tiring after a while, seeing the same sites over and over again, seeing the same people and places over and over again, sleeping in the same bed and relaxing on the same couch day in and day out. You realize that there's much more to this world, and so you want to go out and see it. The nine-to-five Daily Grind is a very unappealing subject to you, and you want to go out and see if there's other ways to make ends meet.

3) Humans are nomadic creatures.

Assessing the human race from a historical and anthropological perspective, our genus started out largely as nomadic people, moving to where the shelter and food were. Overtime, it's also turned into leisure, and seeing new sights. It is in our nature to yearn for more, as we are social creatures by Nature, and Travelers by nurture.

4) An end to Samsara.

This is a Sanskrit term used to denote a worldly wandering caused by suffering and the weariness of life's issues that are ultimately unimportant, such as greed and violence. The more I travel, the freer I feel, and the closer to myself I become. by looking at another's suffering, it makes me rationalize my own, take a step back, and assess the world around me from a different lens.

5) Life is short, and nothing is permanent.

people attempt to give their life permanence and directive by purchasing material goods and possessions, focusing more on what they have accrued rather than the places they have seen and things they have done. I fall more into the latter category, as I spend my money on places to go and things to see and things to experience, much more so than a new car or a new jacket or a new video game console. Those will be here for when I return home one day, or for when I find new home. But one thing is for sure, since we don't keep anything of ours after we expire, I much rather spend the money on a memory than an item.

6) Escapism is essential to survival.

when we leave home for a trip, we acknowledge the fact that we are leaving home and we are leaving our comfort zone. Yeah, we are taking our baggage, or complications, our problems, with us. Everybody has suffering, and escaping one location and embracing another is one way to reassess the suffering from a different perspective. We travel because we hope our external environment and change our internal environment. we are always looking for a reason to get up and go.

And so, these are just a few detailed reasons as to why I refuse to sit still for too long. This is why I whenever somebody I know from Facebook talks to me and says boy have you been traveling a lot, I can't help but grin and say yes, but not enough. I am proud of my travels, as they set me apart from the status quo. But I am not proud of myself, because there's so much more that I can be doing to travel, and I'm just waiting for those days to happen upon me.

I tell myself I want to settle by the time I'm 30 and start a family, but at the same time, who knows? Maybe that will just be another decade of my life and which I will be pulled in another direction to see more and do more things. Truly, time will tell.