Two years ago, I was rejected from every college I applied to. It felt like my life was falling apart. Not because I always dreamed of going to a fancy school, or because I believed I inherently “deserved” to get in; but because for the first time, my life actually was falling apart. With it, went all of the preconceived notions of how my future should look, the expectations of who I should be, and the limiting beliefs of my worthiness placed upon me in high school. As the people I once loved left, and the places I once sought comfort in no longer welcomed me, I quickly learned that I had no choice but to do the same. And for the first time in my life, I got to start from scratch.
Since then, I’ve lived in Barcelona and London, and travelled to 12 countries. I learned how to ski in Finland, attended surf camp in Lombok, and became a yoga instructor in Bali. I’ve been clubbing in Ibiza, seen Paris from the top of the Eiffel tower, sailed the Amalfi Coast, and eventually did get into college.
But this isn’t a story about the wins and losses by which I once defined my worth. It’s one about a much deeper well, one filled with human connection and good will. It’s about the Italian nonna who welcomed us into her home while we were lost in Puglia and cooked my friends and I a traditional Apulian meal. It’s about the British boys we picked up off the side of the street in London, who became some of our closest friends and personal tour guides for the next three months. It’s about the six girls who started out as a random roommate assignment during my semester in Barcelona, who carried me through my first heartbreak.
The past two years have altered the trajectory of my entire future, and have inspired me to accept every heartbreak, failure, and shortcoming as a catalyst for change, rather than a definitive ruling on my potential in life. When shit hits the fan, as it so often does, we are faced with two options: to stay the same, or to change. If you don’t know where to start, remember that sometimes the first step towards changing your mental space is to change your physical one. That first fickle step can be the hardest, but if you can muster enough bravery to do it, and to do it scared, the payoff is well worth it.
The lessons I’ve learned through my experiences abroad have been critical in shaping the person I am today. First and foremost, it has taught me how to love: people, places, and myself. It’s shown me the lengths to which I’ll go for these things I love; all the way from the North Pole to South East Asia. It’s taught me to proceed through every day with an open mind and open heart, to ascribe deeper meaning to each one of my experiences as a means for survival. It’s made me question who I am at my core, and what impact I want to leave behind in the world.
Most importantly, travel inspires me to keep pushing for more in every area of my life: as a student, friend, writer, yogi, and person. It’s why I created this blog, and why I encourage everyone in my circles to get back out in the world. Because what they don’t teach you in school is this; the world is only as big as you dream it to be.
