My decision to prioritize traveling started in June of 2021. I completed an MBA program that May and managed to secure a job post-grad. I started a remote role the first week of June and noticed my contract had a stipulation allowing me to remain remote for the duration of my employment. I already knew I wanted to change my life and break the mold- but now I had a glimmer of faith. Could I utilize this job to propel my traveling? It was a concept I had never considered. I waited patiently for three weeks to get my first check and make my first move.
The beginning…
As I started working, I felt incredibly stuck in my circumstances. I was living with my parents in their sleeply suburban town because COVID was still a thing and moving into my own place didn’t quite make sense. I was isolating myself and feeling more uncomfortable as the days went by. I wanted to change everything about my life in those moments, I just didn’t know where to start. I realized that if I wanted to make a change I would have to do so without giving myself the opportunity to back out. I needed to hold myself accountable, like in any major life-changing decision.
During the Fall semester of 2019, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy as many students do. This semester abroad was my initial ‘click’ moment. Maybe in a subconscious way I recognized how grounded I felt thousands of miles away from everything I was familiar with. I realized I was happier when my life prioritized experiencing new places and people. Not as MY #1 focus necessarily, but in a far-more-than-2weeks-a-year kind of way. I felt so comfortable living in Italy and dreamed of going back the moment I left. COVID stole a few years away but now I was working a remote job and about to get my first paycheck. I knew this was the moment to be bold.
A taste of Florence
The evening I received my first pay check I booked a one-way ticket to Paris and Florence for March 2022. I wanted to give myself an 8-9 month buffer period to wholeheartedly get my shit together. I knew if I wanted this to work I would need to fix up a few major components of my life:
- Money – traveling is NOT cheap- even seemingly budget-friendly options can quickly drain your savings quickly. It also leaves you more open to risk. Planning for this and allowing yourself to have some cushioning will make the most stressful moments feel survivable. Do yourself a favor and start getting serious about saving. I ended up accruing around $8,000. However, keep in mind I knew I would also have a regular bi-weekly income. If you will not be working while traveling you will probably want to save quite a bit more.
- Mentally Prepared– I was NOT the person I wanted to be in June 2021. I was very unhealthy, unhappy, and isolating myself from friends and family. This was not the woman I envisioned experiencing new things or connecting with others. I knew my trip would not be what I envisioned until I improved myself first.
Truth be told, the extended waiting period was mostly to give myself grace while trying to become who I knew I wanted to be. Being the kind of person that gives herself grace while making a big change was my starting point. I recognized I had formed a bad habit of ruining things for myself. Whether it be shopping, making new friends, or exploring a new city, I was holding myself back from doing and enjoying the things I wanted to. Why? Because I used to think: Why would anything go right when it could just as easily go wrong?
Insecurities in my personality, body, and friendships left me feeling powerless. This was the mentality I promised myself I would conquer. I was going to rewrite my narrative to align with the version of myself I wanted to be while traveling. I found myself in the uncomfortable stage of life right after you’ve committed to a life-changing decision, but before anything has actually happened. Instead of feeling stuck I decided to embrace the process and all the discomfort that came along with it.
The start…
When March 2022 came around I felt incredibly anxious and skeptical of my trip. Had I changed enough? Did I deserve this chance to travel? I ended up booking a remote therapist I could continue seeing for the duration of my travels. This was single-handedly the best decision I could have made for myself. Having a stable and reliable schedule of speaking about my feelings, having them validated, and making sense of them allowed me to actually grow. Rather than unsuccessfully pretending they didn’t exist, I was being honest with myself and actively trying to change the way I thought about myself and the world around me.
Traveling can lead to a lot of confusing emotions that sometimes bubble over. I would highly recommend having a point person you can rely on to guide you in a healthy and stable way, whether it be a therapist or friend.
Although I was scared, I knew I needed to be going on this trip. I spent days obsessing over what I was going to pack and how I was going to pack it. The days leading up to leaving felt like a blur but then the time came. I dragged my over-weight checked suitcase and backpack out of the house, hopped in the car, and didn’t look back…
Part 2 Coming Soon…
