“You are my Barbie friend”
“Patty”
“I was thinking”
“You are my Barbie friend”
“Like you do everything. You do your yoga things, you do the volunteering things, you’re going to plan a trip to Costa Rica…you know what I mean, like you’re Barbie, and you’re blonde and tall.”
I recieved this message from a very close friend that I met along my travels. We immediatley clicked, and we have stayed in touch ever since. It meant more to me than a compliment, and it really got me thinking about this lifestyle that I have been living for the past year.
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In the past week, I have traveled to Paris, France and Lisbon, Portugal. I am currently sitting in an Honest Greens in Barcelona, Spain, and next week at this time I will be in Costa Rica. When I tell you, I have been all around the globe in the past few months, it is honestly hard to comprehend, but I coudn’t be happier with where my travels have taken me. I started in Hawaii at the beginning of the summer, did a tour around Southeast Asia, and I am now in Europe. I am finishing the last two months of my “gap year” in Central America. A full world tour, and I could truly write a book about it, maybe I will one day.
My whole life I have always been worried about my future. From as long as I can remember, I was worrying about college applications, scholarships, sports, and what I wanted to be when I grew up. I developed such a habit of only worrying about the future, and I became so hyperaware of it, that it was unhealthy. I would go into situations thinking that this will be done before I know it, and I never really enjoyed the present moment. When I started my travels in June, I was setting off for three months in Hawaii. I made a promise to myself to live in the moment. The theme of my 2023 summer was, “Live for today.” Maybe it’s because I was living on island time, but I truly felt that I taught myself how to slow down & be present this summer. I have continued this mindset throughout my travels until now, and it has truly taken me on a path that I never could’ve predicted 10 months ago.
On my travels so far, I have accepted a job to be a content creator for a travel platform, completed my open water scuba diving certification, learned how to surf, became a certified yoga teacher, hosted my first travel seminar, and got an offer to host my first group trip. These are the moments that stand out the most, but the small experinces in between each of these moments is what made it all possible. I truly believe because I was living in the moment, making connections, and learning more about myself, I was able to discover what I was capable of.
“You never know what you can do unless you try.” -Barbie
When I do think about the future, I ponder what one of these “hobbies” I could turn into a career, a passion. Of course, I am passionate about traveling, writing, and yoga, but at what point will these quaint pastimes generate an income. Unfortunatley, that is something that society tells us we must take into consideration. I know that I could take any direction and be happy. That is for sure; however, I know that I don’t seek complacency, and I will not thrive being content with something repetitive in action. I have always noticed that I am on a certain path, that each experience leads me to the next, and for this, I trust that the universe has a greater plan for me. Everything does happen for a reason.
“Either you’re brainwashed or your weird,” Barbie said it best. I believe that my future is bright, but I also know that I have to experience & indulge in the present to make it there. A few more flights, a few more friendships formed, and maybe a few mistakes, all to figure this life out, to see where we are supposed to be going. Sure, I could pick a general career course, and I could accomplish it. This I know, but I have to stay true to the belief that something bigger is waiting. Because the idea that in the next 10 months I could accomplish more suprises akin to the last, makes me so excited.
“I want to be a part of the people that make the meaning, not the thing that is made.” -Barbie
