Oh, what a difference a month makes… After re-reading my last post, I realized it came off as a little too negative and whiny.  This is the opposite of why I started this blog which is to inspire and be a positive light in your life.  For that, I apologize.  It sure did feel good though to get things on paper and made me realize that life is too short to dwell on the negative and past.  With that being said, I’ve decided to make a change with my job situation and take a leap of faith.  After some contemplation and asking around, I’ve decided to get completely out of my comfort zone and do some solo traveling.

Traveling, unfortunately, has not been a big part of my life other than the occasional weekend getaway or bachelor party.  I grew up in a city known to live in their own little “bubble” which is hard to admit but true.  I’ve tried venturing out of this so-called “bubble” by moving to NYC for a bit but always felt my heart at home.  Home will always be here but the opportunity to travel for an extended period of time like this will not.  That’s why I feel this a great time for me to go..no big obligations holding me down (no family/gf or rent/mortgage).  Here are my goals for this traveling adventure:

• Be completely present in the current location and limit communication/time online (this will hopefully help with the homesickness). Meet and approach people (as my sis would say) IRL – in real life.
• Continue my daily meditation practice (2x if possible but I know that’s going to be tough) at least once per day – first thing when I get up in the morning.
• Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Just stick with it (the uncomfortable feeling) and know everything’s going to be fine (unless you’re riding with the bulls in Spain, then RUNNN!).
• Learn the basic phrases for each country I’m traveling to (Please, Thank You, How much does this cost?, Can I poop here?).
• Keep a journal documenting my experiences, the good, bad and ugly. Post pics and videos of each country I visit so you guys can follow along on this journey.
• Be open to change, learn about the world and most importantly don’t worry about the future or things happening back home…just have FUN!

The tentative travel itinerary is 5-6 weeks in Europe (starting in Iceland, making my way south hitting Amsterdam, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and maybe a few other countries in between) then finishing up in SouthEast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Taiwan) for 4-5 weeks.  If you’ve traveled to any of these countries, I’m all ears.  This isn’t going to be a ‘kick your feet up and enjoy the beach’ type of trip although there will be a few relaxing days.  I’m looking forward to sharing my journey with you.  Cheers to the Summer of Adventure 2017!
QOTP: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” –unknown

p.s. Going to be making some changes to the blog format since I haven’t changed it since I started blogging.  Stay tuned…