Travel is my first love

One of my many dreams as a child was to travel the world one day and visit all the amazing cities and islands that I had heard about in stories and seen in films, but it felt so far out of my reach – I thought travel was expensive.

Now, after travelling to 30+ countries over the past 7 years I have come to my own conclusion… Life is expensive. BUT you get to choose what you spend your money on.

I chose to try and live a more minimalist-like lifestyle, this way I'd save enough to prioritise travel & adventure and take trips that last a few months at a time.

Luckily, I’m a freelancer and this allows me the downtime I need to support my passion.

I know that many people who are business owners, employees or have families and other major responsibilities don’t have the choices that I do, and maybe your career is your first love, maybe your family is your first love and that’s okay, we don’t have to be the same.

That’s the beauty of life.

But travel tugged on my heartstrings and after studying and working for a few years I decided it was go time.

THIS WAS THE BEST THING I HAD EVER DONE FOR MYSELF and I fell in love.

I fell in love with the freedom, the places, the people, the unforeseeable, the rush of new beginnings, the ever-expanding mindset, and the high of being true to myself.

We all have various aspects to our personas. Think of the face you show at work vs the one your friends get to see over the weekend. At work I tend to be earnest and to the point but when I'm travelling... the nonchalant, relaxed, carefree version of myself gets unleashed and she is more prone to laughter and amusement. Travel allows me the freedom to be the best version of myself.

Back home, life is governed by time: work, meetings, appointments, lunch time, home time. Our eyes are always on the clock. But when travelling, unless I have activities planned, life is governed by how I feel. I wake up to the waves instead of an alarm, eat when I'm hungry or snack all day, no appointments just walk-ins. It allows me to live in the moment and be fully present - this is the most underrated blessing.

Falling in love with a destination and the longing to return to it or discover the depth of those intangible feelings is the high I find myself constantly chasing.

Oh the feels I get when I think of my first view of the Manhattan skyline OR being 18m deep in crystal, turquoise waters OR conquering a trek at 5200m above sea level OR watching lava simmer in a volcano! Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!

I don't know if I'll ever be able to stop. It's addictive. And I'll always be curious to discover somewhere new or excited to return to someplace familiar. I'm not trying to cover ground, just adamant to build on my experiences. I have never returned to a place and had the same experience twice.

I mostly travel solo and this enlightens you like no other - it's not just about being elsewhere. It demands openness, self-growth and stretches your mind further with every experience. I've found that traveling for a short time with someone or with a group of people doesn't quite compare, the trip would always be about 'us' which is perfect if you are setting out to bond with friends or a significant other but not ideal if you're searching for that individual growth.

EVERYONE has something new to teach you. And I open myself up to ideas that would have never crossed my path in my community. In my experience whenever I had travelled with someone, I was less likely to meet others and have perspective-changing conversations that touch my soul differently. This lead to the validation that I had been craving for years: it's okay to be a free spirit, it's okay to forge your own path and go against what society poses as 'the norm'. Settling down now, feels like I'd be giving up so much of myself.

[Side Note: a while back I was seeing someone - we were just a few weeks into dating so I did not factor him into my travel plans, also my plans are vague and usually booked at the last minute, so when I told him I'd be out of the country for a while, homeboy did not take it very well and he ended things. I'm still confused - I had no idea we were anything but maybe he was looking for something more serious than I was. It was such an eye opener for me that while a lot of women would jump at the chance of a potential love story, I jumped when I saw a flight sale. And nothing else in that moment mattered besides me, my passport, and my upcoming trip.]

For me, adventure is such a key part of my journey and my personality. It feels right, compatible and always comes at the perfect time. So for now and however long it might last, travel is my priority, my greatest passion, and my first love.

#Travel #Backpacker #Solotravel #Wander #Love #Wanderlust