Post Travel Reflection

Well, it’s officially over, my first full month of traveling! I suppose it’s just shy of a month, but who’s counting? Hehe. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to travel and see different parts of the world, and to someday be a “backpacker.” I never knew how to make it work, or perhaps I was unwilling to take on the risks it involves? Either way, I’m proud to say I made it work this time. I knew I wanted to travel with Dana and Hayden, and I had been talking about it for a long while, but this time, I was determined to make it happen. I picked up extra work trips in January, I planned my paid time off to be used for an entire week in February, and I was able to move one of my work trips into January, freeing up even more time for the big holiday. 😁

This month was a dream, bouncing around from place to place, hustling like a true backpacker, and staying in nice airbnbs, like a “flash packer,” a new vocab word for me, hehe. Traveling at such a fast pace is exhausting but has its merits. We were able to hit 4 countries in 26 days! That’s pretty epic, if you ask me. 😁 I scored two new countries, and am officially at 22! I’ve never been super invested in reaching a certain number of countries, but after traveling with Dana and Hayden, I am now, hehe. I hope to work some fun routes this summer and to see a few new places. And I hope to be able to go away for a few days here and there to explore new cities. 

Backpacking teaches one how little is necessary to survive, and it exposes the finer luxuries in life that we take for granted, such as fresh coffee in the morning, a comfortable bed, and hot water. Traveling teaches patience and problem solving skills, how to react to sudden changes, and how to think on your toes. To say there are multiple dimensions of growth and learning when it comes to traveling would be an understatement, hehe.

I am forever grateful for this experience and for Dana and Hayden for inviting me to tag along for such a long time. We had never traveled together before, and if you’re also a traveler, you’ll know you just can’t take anyone, lol. There needs to be a certain level of flexibility, openness, and tons of communication. I’ve heard it said before that if you’re dating someone, a great way to test the relationship is to travel somewhere with that person. How do you enjoy the vacation together? How do you problem-solve when things don’t go according to plan? How do you deal with each other when the “hanger” sets it? My last relationship, one I thought was for the long term, ended days after a cruise. Coincidence? I don’t think so, haha. It was a long time coming, but that trip pushed us over the edge. Good riddance, lol. 

I would travel with Dana and Hayden again, any time, anywhere. It felt so natural, and our little crew got along so well. 26 days passed far too quickly, hehe. 

Since covid stopped time and forced us to live a new normal, I haven’t traveled much. But the world is open now, and I’m ready to explore again. I had a fabulous first post-covid trip to Egypt back in October with my roommate from flight attendant training, Jaimee. We have such a blast with each other, and we’ve gone to some incredible places together. I’m always looking forward to a new trip! 🙂 Where to, Jaimee?

My goal for this year is to try and visit a new place every month. It could be near or far, but I have the ability to design my schedule in a way that allows me to take advantage of the travel bug, and I plan on doing just that. 

Stay tuned for more travel adventures!