Who I Am (and why I travel)
Travel changes you.
If you asked me ten years ago what I would be doing now, I would have been able to tell you exactly how my life would turn out. I was always a prepared kid. I liked structure. I loved rules. I followed schedules. I did everything I was supposed to do. And I was really, really good at it. I got better than straight As, earned a college scholarship (both academically and athletically), never drank, got along with my parents, etc, etc. I liked the rules. The rules were safe, and I ALWAYS followed them.
It’s crazy how things change. I caught that wanderlust bug and found myself and lost myself over and over again through my travels.
In this moment, I can’t tell you where I will be next month, let alone ten years from now. I just have no idea, and I’ve never been happier about it.
I used to be so concerned with grades, rules, and responsibilities. I’m not saying those things aren’t important. Getting good grades and following the rules helps. Doing so can open doors in many ways. And responsibilities are important. Showing up to your job on time and paying rent matter in this world. Responsibilities need to be met.
But those things are fleeting. They lack meaning after a while. In five years, my GPA will be irrelevant. My academic and athletic honors won’t be of any significance other than to fill a shoe box in the back of a closet. My resume will be a saved document in a folder that hasn’t been opened in years.
What will really matter are the memories and the moments I’ve experienced and the people I’ve had the chance to meet around the world.
So I started this blog in order to share the moments in my life, big and small, that traveling has given me. And hopefully I can inspire others to see the beauty in being lost in this world. I try to be as authentic as possible in everything I write. Raw is real and at 20 years old, raw emotions are pretty prevalent in my life.
Traveling has taken my breath away and I hope others will get the chance to experience that feeling. I’ve funded all of my travels by waiting tables and other odd jobs, while also playing college sports and pursuing a degree. It’s possible to have your cake and eat it too.
I truly believe that anyone is able to travel anywhere in the world if they simply want it enough.
Its a lifestyle to travel. You have to dive off the cliff. Its scary and unpredictable and amazing all at once. Seeing the world is something that matters to me. I’m traveling the world looking for my niche. Hopefully my stories will mean something to someone, and they will inspire others to buy that plane ticket.
Cheers to getting lost.