If you were sitting across from my desk right now, you’d probably see me as a calm and collected young lady working on something really serious. If you thought that, you would be VERY wrong. I am far from calm and collected! I am freaking out! I feel like there are hundreds of fireworks in my brain. Colorful, joyful and explosive. Adventure. Travel. New beginnings. Places I have never been, people I have never met. LIFE.

Just a couple hours ago I clicked “Book Flight.”

I have traveled alone before. But I have always family and friends…familiar faces. Trips that have been exciting, adventurous, fun and a few times not so fun.

20 days ago I found out I will be able to accomplish a life long dream of entering spiritual training. I know this will be a powerful adventure that will send me off to places I don’t know, helping people, and living the dream I have had for the past 4 years. I will also be diving into a more simple, self-less lifestyle, which I find intriguing and adventurous as well.

But before diving into this dream…I had another one to fulfill. And as of April 13th, I only had 47 days to do it.  Backpack travel, here I come.

I gave 3 weeks notice at work. And this week I will be warming up my “travel muscles” in Chicago. I have been in cities before (I lived in one until I was 13 years old), but I certainly would not call myself a city girl. So I need some practice before going abroad. I booked 4 glorious vacation days in Chicago. Bought a ticket to a show, and the rest…will be a spontaneous series of hours wandering around.

Wander. That’s all I want to do. 

I am currently reading the book WILD by Cheryl Strayed. It gave me the guts to finally do what I did today. Book a flight abroad. 9 days. 9 days outside everything I have always known. Although I am not sure I can call it “9 days outside my comfort zone…”

But first things first. Chicago this week. Then I can think about crossing the seas.

“Maybe I was more alone than anyone in the whole wide world. Maybe that was okay.” -Cheryl Strayed