The following Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Marksissons and is narrated by Brock Armstrong.

Do you value experiences over things?

When I look back on my life and take stock of the things that have made me the happiest,

I don't think about the material objects I've procured.

I don't think about the money I've made or the cars I've owned or the possessions

stashed away in my garage.

I think about the experiences. There are the grand adventures.

I did outward bound when I was 17. It was 28 days of rigorous experiences in the wild of New England.

Moment to moment instances where I had to be here now or maybe die.

That majorly shaped the rest of my life and for which I will be ever grateful.

A journey to Europe alone at 22 with a backpack, a Eurorail pass, and no agenda or itinerary.

This was before the days of smartphones and apps and

online reviews that eliminate the mystery of travel, if you let them. The annual 10-day trip I take

with my extended family to a part of the world that we've never seen. These are relatively

expensive undertakings and one could say, well, you could

have purchased a new car, or updated your wardrobe, or remodeled your bathroom, and have had a more

practical and long-lasting use of the investment. After all, a trip is over when it's over,

but that car will always be in your garage, they say.

But the lasting images, feelings, impressions, and life lessons of the experiences are always of

greatest value to me. And having kids is at the top of that list. There are the smaller, more private adventures.

My friend Eric and I were out paddling one day when we came across a very friendly and

interactive pot of dolphins.

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