Growth through travel
The past few years have really flown by. I feel like I’ve changed as a person, and as a writer too. Why travel blog? So I can follow what I’ve seen and how I’ve changed over the years!
How I’ve changed as a person
What I love about travel is that you challenge yourself. You can challenge your beliefs of what the world is like, what other people are like, and who you are. I’ve grown the most through traveling, and much of this has been because I’ve gotten to know myself better. Instead of floating through life living on a routine, travel has broken it up by giving me new experiences, exposing me to new cultures, and making new friends. It’s also forced me to think about what is important to me.
I’ve learned that I love being around different languages, and that I can be braver than I thought I could be.
What I’ve learned about myself:
- I’m inside my own head way too much.
- At times I like having plans, and others I wish to have none at all.
- I feel like I lose touch with myself if I don’t take time to write for fun.
Things that I’m grateful for:
- Being able to write for myself
- Being able to cook for myself (feeling healthier than I have in a while!)
- Being able to set my own schedule
How I’ve changed as a writer
Writing has always been an outlet for me. Either through journaling or writing for blogs, it’s been fun and I’ve learned a lot about myself this way. I feel like I’ve taken a real turn in the last month in my academic and my blog writing. A quote that my creative writing teacher in high school told us was that you have to be willing to “kill your darlings,” meaning cut whole paragraphs or sentences when they don’t work. I always understood what it meant, but now I feel like I’ve actually embraced it and can do it.
Goals for the next few months:
- Finish up some parts of my research and write them up
- Keep to a structure for posting on this blog
How I’ve changed physically
Part of growing older is becoming more aware of your body and how it is changing too. I don’t recover as quickly as I used to, and my body generally complains more loudly than it used to (or I’ve started listening more closely).
Things I’ve started doing since starting this blog:
- Cooking and eating more vegetarian food (even more than I had before)
- Meditating daily to deal with anxiety and stress
- Lifting weights to build stability and strength for ultimate
- Wearing glasses every day instead of contact lenses (post injury)
- Bought and started using a menstrual cup (it’s really the best, ladies!)
Normally afraid of heights, I can now enjoy cliffside walks/climbs with friends.
Looking forward
I hope to continue to grow through traveling. I have some plans to travel for ultimate tournaments, to see friends, and to see family.
My goals for this blog haven’t really changed, although they have solidified in form. I don’t want to be a typical travel writer that lists top tens and must sees for every popular place. I want to share my growth through travel and how I’m learning about the world and myself.
This blog is a reminder to myself to stop waiting to live the life I’ve been wanting, and just build it for myself bit by bit.
That doesn’t mean that I want to travel full time, or never settle somewhere, but to me it means being aware of what my priorities are and how they might be changing over time. For more inspiration, check out these adventure quotes.
What are your goals when you travel? Do you feel like you’ve changed much in the last year?
Photo credit: wyman H, my sister, and my friend R
