Do you always need a destination?

A few years ago, my longtime roommate and I hopped into his car to return a rental to Hollywood Video. By 6 AM the next morning, we found ourselves watching the sun rise over the skyline of Las Vegas. We didn't know exactly where we were going or how long we planned to stay. Sometime between Hollywood Video and our apartment, we had decided to go to California. Thus began one of the most epic road trips of my lifetime.

Sometimes, setting off without a destination leads to grand adventures, but most of the time, it doesn't. This is especially true as it relates to careers, education, and real life in general. As the familiar conversation between Alice and the Cheshire Cat reminds us, plowing ahead without a clear direction can lead to lackluster results.

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don't much care where—" said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"—so long as I get SOMEWHERE," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

Where did it land my friend and I? In the ultra-sketchy, poorly lit parking lot of a seedy Chinese buffet in the wrong part of San Bernardino with a broken down car. This is not a joke...it actually happened!