When people recall experiences, they remember events that stick with them for the rest of their lives. Purchased things, on the other hand, may stay with you for a while but you’ll soon lose interest. At least two Leyden teachers have bought into the message to spend money on making memories that rather than objects that continually depreciate. 

“I began to travel on my motorcycle and found it a fun and a cheap way to travel. The destinations were great, but what was more memorable were the people I met along the way and the obstacles that inevitably emerged. Those memories will last a lifetime, as opposed to material goods, which mostly don’t,” social studies teacher Mr. Alex Jomarron said.

“I’ll choose having an experience over buying a ‘thing’ every time. The memories made, lessons learned, and relationships created form an experience that will outlast any tangible item you buy,” business education teacher Ms. Amy Gorzynski commented.

All your experiences have the opportunity to be memorable. Mr. Jomarron remembers some of his favorite adventures: “Arriving at a fallen bridge in Guatemala and being invited to stay on someone’s ranch turned into an incredible experience. Crossing the Brooks Range in Alaska descending onto the north slope heading into Prudhoe Bay was the most isolated, ruggedly beautiful place I’ve been. I was gone for over 60 days and rode over 11,000 miles. I’m guessing I spent around $4,000. But it was an epic trip.”

Ms. Gorzynski recounts her trip to Oregon: “A friend and I went on a week-long backpacking trip in Oregon. We backpacked a section of the Pacific Crest Trail on Mt. Hood, just outside of Portland. We hiked about eight to twelve miles everyday and camped on the side of the mountain each night. We researched and planned for a year leading up to our trip. In preparation, I took wilderness survival classes through REI, practiced making ‘camp food’ with a special backpacking stove, and went on training hikes with my pack, sometimes carrying over 40 pounds at a time.”

People may think that spending $4,000 on a trip is crazy or simply not worth it, but when it gives you the opportunity to meet new people and become more familiar with the world, it’s kind of worth the cost. And it’s a spending habit that’s likely to last.

Mr. Jomarron said, “I’d like to learn diesel mechanics, continue guitar lessons, become a better photographer, fly in a glider, drive my VW Camper to South America, [visit] Southern Africa and Australia, sail across the Atlantic Ocean to spend some time in the Mediterranean, ride a motorcycle through all the famous passes in the Alps, do some trekking in Nepal and New Zealand, and see the Aurora Borealis in Iceland. How’s that for a list?”

Gorzynski is already “planning a trip to California in June to go to surf school, and I have a trip to Alaska planned for July.”

Others who opt to buy “stuff” don’t always have the same joy. “I regretted buying a new TV for myself when I just could have saved and gone to the movies with my family,” said senior Joshua Ventura.

There are endless experiences, even for those who have been to seventeen countries. That’s the thing, each experience is unique, you will never do the same thing or meet the same people as many times as you venture out. I say stick with experiences. Would you rather spend time with your family at Walt Disney World or buy an Iphone for each person in your family. A word of advice, take the trip or you will have a load of phone bills. Spend money on experiences. They are worth it.