Exploration

     Have you ever felt like you were simply going to jump out of your skin if you didn’t do something exciting? I think everyone has at least a little craving, a pressure in their chest to accompany every heartbeat, a longing for adventure. Everyone has that small part of them that wants to explore. Buzz Aldrin once said, "Exploration is wired into our brains. If we can see the horizon, we want to know what's beyond." For some people, the desire is stronger and it prompts them to go on wild expeditions.

     Of course, there are practical reasons to explore the world besides just a feeling. Motivations for past expeditions have included finding new land for people to live on and more resources for people to live by.Gathering information on the earth as a whole has also been a key motive. The reason for Russian submarines to visit the bottom of the Arctic was to claim the frozen land and use its resources and strategic battle position.

     Exploration does have its difficulties. It’s impossible to prepare for everything in an unknown place because the place is just that: unknown. Unexpected challenges may arise, and the proper supplies to combat those challenges may not be available. Mandatory things that may go in short supply include light, oxygen, and food supplies. One example is the near starvation that the first settlers in the Jamestown colony faced. Navigation is also a major concern if a mistake is made.

     If the challenges are overcome, however, exploration has many benefits. Some people have found peace and freedom in new lands, while others have simply found a place to spread out and stop overpopulation. Natural resources are always valuable finds for countries both to use and to sell. Research expeditions provide useful information that can be used in places we’ve already settled. Exploring God’s awe-inspiring creation can also be a means to get closer to Him, as was the case for some of the astronauts involved in the mission to the moon.

     Exploration is a great and dangerous thing. It takes someone who is brave and determined to go where no one has gone before. As life continues and more and more is explored, finding these unknown places becomes harder and harder. That doesn’t mean people will stop, though. We’ve still got that spark, the urge to find more.

Sections: Adventure, Christianity, Educational Essays, Excitement, For School, Nature, Nonfiction, Travel, Wonder