#thewanderlustdiaries

[hellokaitlynn802-blog]

ONE MONTH DOWN: IM NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE

February 10th 2016 was like any other day. I woke up, showered, poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down on the same leather sectional I had for many years. I watched the early morning news and managed to upload a new photo on Instagram. I could feel the cool Vermont breeze creeping in at the height of winter and listened to the same familiar sounds of animals outside. However, February 10th 2016 was the day my life changed. How? You may ask...well, the answer is quite simple. 

Only one month earlier I woke up in the same routine when I realized my life had hit its peak. At 23 years old I knew exactly how my day would play out, what clothes I would wear, what food I would eat and what time I would go to bed. Had I hit a mid-life crisis? Surely that wasn’t possible. But I knew something had to change, and that something was everything. So I did what every sane 23-year would do. I gave up the lease to my apartment, sold all my belongings, offloaded my brand-new car, quit my well-paying job and bought a one-way plane ticket to Australia.

It was only 10,000 miles away I told myself. What could go wrong? After watching Eat, Pray, Love for a month straight, I knew Elizabeth Gilbert was right. It is better to live my destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of someone else’s with perfection--and what better way to do that than travel around the world? My first stop: Hawaii.

The Big Island is my happy place and has been since day one. From diving underneath the powerful ocean to hiking across the most active volcano in the world, Hawaii speaks to the adventurer’s soul the way music speaks to a pianist.  When planning my trek across the globe, I could not think of a better halfway point than Hawaii. My happy place + family = perfection. So I set aside 12 days-12 blissful days to relax, unwind, and mentally prepare myself for the next leg of my journey.

It was in Hawaii that I once again found myself-or at least a part of myself I thought had been missing. When you spend your whole life focusing on goals, the future, your next college degree or “big break” you fail to see the beauty right in front of you. The reality is you can live your life for tomorrow-or-you can stop and smell the roses. I stopped…and that moment changed everything. I hiked, saw waterfalls, ate dinner while watching active lava, became a diver, and even managed not to pick up Dengue Fever in the process. My family (brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews) were there every step of the way encouraging me to follow my dreams, wherever they may lead me.

Leaving Hawaii was bittersweet. In one aspect, it felt like vacation and at the end I would be heading home to everything I knew…every comfort…every friend…and every family member. But my plane wasn’t bound for Vermont-in fact it wasn’t even bound for the United States. Hawaiian Airlines Flight 443 was sending me to Brisbane, Australia where a world of opportunity awaited.

Australia is everything I thought it would be and more. The weather is phenomenal, the food a work of art, the people friendly, and the fashion a 10. Yet, waking up day 1 I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. Had it not been for a letter waiting for me that day, I’m not sure where my emotions would have led me. Reading the words of my sister made all the difference. “I. Am. So. Goddamn. Proud. Of. You. It takes a certain kind of person with a whole lot of gumption to do what you’re doing right now, and I hope you remember that when things get challenging you have done everything right in life, you’ve made all the hard right choices, and there is no reason why you should not wholeheartedly trust yourself now, in both your academics and personal life. Mistakes? Sure. We’ve all made them. When you feel yourself starting to get overwhelmed, remember this: you’ve never run from a problem, so there’s not a reason to think you would need to now. You’ve worked yourself out of every jam, earned every A, gotten every job, saved every penny, and that has brought you here.”

Here. She’s right-every choice has brought me to where I am right now. For all of you out there thinking “I can’t do this” or “traveling the world is impossible” think again. Where there’s a will, there is most certainly a way. It wasn’t easy giving up everything I knew and packing my world into two suitcases. But at the end of the day, I am growing more comfortable and confident in a world of uncertainty than I did in 23 years of knowing.

So as I enter month two, as crazy as this journey may be, I will wake up and repeat to myself the same mantra Liz did: if you’re brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting and set out on a truth-seeking journey and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept  everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared, most of all, to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself, then the truth will not be withheld from you.

To be continued…

Xox

[katisabrat]

I have a strong feeling that there will be funny (mis)adventures involving trains next week. Here's hoping we don't end up somewhere too far off like Hokkaido. o((*^▽^*))o #thewanderlustdiaries (at Casa de Leon, Caloocan City)

[monyswanderlust]

Current view. #nofilter #costarica #wanderlust #wander #wanderer #triprebel #travel #traveler #wanderlustdiaries #thewanderlustdiaries #travelbug #traveljunkie #jetset #jetsetter #citizenoftheworld #global #globalcitizen #globetrotter #travelbug #traveljunkie #theworldismyplayground

[katisabrat]

Found a new holder. Let's go. #outandabout #thewanderlustdiaries (at Casa de Leon, Caloocan City)

[monyswanderlust]

Costa Rican sunset. #CostaRica #nofilter #wanderlust #wander #wanderer #triprebel #travel #traveler #wanderlustdiaries #thewanderlustdiaries #travelbug #traveljunkie #jetset #jetsetter #citizenoftheworld #global #globalcitizen #globetrotter #travelbug #traveljunkie #theworldismyplayground

[monyswanderlust]

Spent the day at Firefly the former home of Sir Noel Coward and the pirate Captain Morgan. #jamaica #firefly #noelcoward #captainmorgan #wanderlust #wander #wanderer #triprebel #travel #traveler #wanderlustdiaries #thewanderlustdiaries #travelbug #traveljunkie #jetset #jetsetter #citizenoftheworld #global #globalcitizen #globetrotter #travelbug #traveljunkie #theworldismyplayground

[monyswanderlust]

Out adventure in Puerto Rico has come to an end. Now we head back to our 2nd home in California. Stay tuned for what we are up to there. #wander #wanderer #wanderlust #thewanderlustdiaries #puertorico #sadtosaygoodbye

[monyswanderlust]

The charming streets of Old San Juan. #wander #wanderer #wanderlust #thewanderlustdiaries #oldsanjuan #puertorico (at Old San Juan)

[monyswanderlust]

Wandering in the streets of Old San Juan. #wander #wanderer #wanderlust #thewanderlustdiaries #oldsanjuan #puertorico #hotel (at Old San Juan )

[monyswanderlust]

We agree 100%! Repost from @brittlitzz. Thank you @jazzislam for sharing this with us. #wander #wanderer #wanderlust #thewanderlustdiaries #explore #adventure

[monyswanderlust]

Tropical paradise. #wander #waderer #wanderlust #thewanderlustdiaries #doradobeach #puertorico #beach #beachbum

[monyswanderlust]

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Just another Friday night on Old San Juan. #wander #waderer #wanderlust #thewanderlustdiaries #puertorico #oldsanjuan #dancinginthestreets

[monyswanderlust]

Going where the road leads us. #wander #wanderer #wanderlust #thewanderlustdiaries #puertorico

[monyswanderlust]

Breathtaking! #wander #wanderer #wanderlust #thewanderlustdiaries #nofilter #puertorico #doradobeach

[monyswanderlust]

Beautiful sunset. #wander #wanderlust #wanderer #thewanderlustdiaries #miami #sunset

[monyswanderlust]

Words we live by. #wander #wanderer #wanderlust #thewanderlustdiaries #TravelBug