I’ve cried on my way home from every trip I’ve ever been on.
I’m nostalgic the second I shut the hotel room door for the last time. The sunset overlooking the Mediterranean Sea appears especially beautiful on my final night. I even romanticize my last time taking a shower in the Airbnb I stayed in for two weeks. Oh, how I’ll miss these blue tiles and sliding glass doors.
I feel sentimental about everywhere I’ve had the privilege of calling my home base, even if only for a short while.
Whether it was the family cruise I boarded at eleven years old, that first trip to Paris with my high school class, or a spontaneous weekend in Montreal…
No matter my age, no matter how far, I carry a little bit of each new place with me.
“I’m ready to go home” are words I’ve never muttered. I’m the person secretly planning to extend my stay and figuring out if I can take off any extra days.
This doesn’t take away from the fact that I love my home: the comfort of fresh bedsheets, having everyone I love close by, and all my belongings easily within reach.
I adore the simplicity of all these things, and my life wouldn’t be the same without them. But I won’t pretend that spontaneity doesn’t bring out a different side of me. When I’m outside of my comfort zone, that’s when the magic happens. I’m immediately more independent, adventurous, and bold.
So, I think I found the balance. I love the mundane moments in new places. It’s the feeling of becoming a regular at the neighborhood cafe, even in an eternal city like Rome. Browsing a vintage store, but on a trip with my best friends to London. Taking four trains to get to my destination in a foreign country. Walking 20,000 steps around the city center without getting tired. Sparking conversations with strangers while strolling down cobblestone streets.
Of course, every trip is followed by a dopamine drop. An identity gap sets in, and I feel a distance between the person I was when I was surrounded by the unknown and who I am in my ordinary day-to-day.
It’s become clear to me that I step into the best version of myself while navigating unfamiliar territory. I know how easily I can adapt and thrive. I know that my confidence is truly at its peak when I push past my boundaries.
So, it’s my goal to bridge the gap between these versions of myself. I can still channel my extroverted, naturally curious side into a structured routine. I always want to embody the person I am when I am out exploring the world.
I’ll say yes to plans even though the more convenient option is to say no. Because if I don’t go, I might be missing out on potential memories that can further shape who I am.
La vita va vissuta in Italian translates to “life is meant to be lived.” And I couldn’t think of something that rings truer to how I feel.
Life is meant to be explored, pursued, and taken a chance on.
you know as a person whom loved doin a solo travelin havin an unexpected getaway then this letters speaks volume to me.
As a girl that can imagine living every place she travels and never wants to leave this hit me deep🫂🫂🫂🤍