Thursday, January 28, 2016

from adios to aloha

I want your life. I’m so jealous of your pictures. How do you afford so much travel? Don’t you get homesick? Where are you going next?

I love being able to share some of my travels with everyone via social media and phone calls/text/email/whatsapp etc. Up until this past trip, my communications have been mostly personal and well contained within my own social media bubble. Yes, I realize that sometimes this means friends of friends see my posts, and that extended family gets clued into my whereabouts, but its primarily my family and friends that I aim to stay connected with and keep involved. Partly because I want them to see the cool places I see, but also because I count on them to keep me grounded and not too homesick. The world is huge and sometimes I find myself on the complete opposite side of it than my family and friends, but being connected makes it feel so so so much smaller.

On my last trip, to Peru, I started blogging for the first time. I was writing on my computer by accident in a way, since I had forgotten a journal. I started jotting down bulleted sentences of times/places/expenses and then those bullets started turning into anecdotes and quotes and full sentences and then paragraphs. My notes naturally turned into story (because apparently I type like I talk and every little detail is accounted for).Well, the blogging just took off and recounting a days events was kind of fun and reflective and (and long and tedious and sometimes stressful), but the fun of it won out. I didn’t think I’d make it past day two, or day three, and then four—and well, it just became a thing. Where my pictures and texts seemed to stop circling  with my near and dear, this blog was making the rounds. Totally embarrassing and very intimidating. I’ll be honest, I turned bright red when I read a comment from someone I didn’t even know who had read what I wrote. But there was also something so motivating in the realization that other people genuinely wanted to be a part of my (and really our whole groups) trip. Traveling is fun, and I know I’m super fortunate that I get to do it as frequently as I do. I’m lucky to have family that supports my wandering ways (and lets me come and go from my home at will), and a job at a restaurant as great as it is that takes me back year after year in-between my journeys. Travel, these last few years anyways, has been my motivation and it’s where I choose to invest my funds.

Sometimes I think I’m being careless, or not moving appropriately along the adult-hood path (what even is that?). I can totally see how my pictures evoke envy or awe, but just know that the ones you all post of your styled apartments, work parties, new houses, dogs and babies inspire in me very similar feelings. It’s a give and take. I LOVE new journeys and seeing new places and the freedom of being unattached and the thrill of the unknown. But it does mean forsaking things along the way. Like job security and a steady paycheck. My own apartment. Relationships. A clear future plan. I’m 100% at peace with the way I’m living my life, but I promise you (and maaany friends and family can attest) that this self-confidence is hard to hold on to. Don’t be jealous of pictures and travels, you have a whole lifetime to make them happen. And when you are ready to adventure yourself, I’ll gladly help you plan :) Or maybe I’ll just encourage you to be a little reckless and just go for it---

Generally speaking, I would say I’m a planner. I don’t always know what my next move will be as far as job or destination of travel. But I still try to plan things out: i.e.  I have a wedding to attend on ___date. If I don’t want to be in the cold, I should be gone from ____ to ____. I know this person has some time off during ____ month, so I could try to get there then. I can spend approx $____ for the next 4 moths without going broke--- plans (ish). The worst part of this is that theres a lot of unaccounted for times where you start to doubt yourself and your ability to plan. The best part of this is that theres lots of unaccounted for times and you jump into unexpected adventures and find yourself on a plane headed to Hawaii.

Yes. That’s real. And really happening. I’m currently on Virgin Airlines enroute to San Fran to connect to another Virgin Airlines flight to Kahului, Maui. Aloha! To break down the chain of events real quick (and really, since this all happened within the last 18 hours…it’ll be quick), I landed in Boston from Peru Tuesday night. I took C&J home and for some reason felt compelled to unpack all my belongings and start laundry. Considering my state of exhaustion the allure of my bed and my general track record of living out of my suitcase for at least a week after I get home, I’m not sure where this motivation came from. I fell asleep roughly 11 pm Tuesday night, and a testament to my true level of exhaustion….I didn’t wake up until 3:45pm Wednesday afternoon. Whoops. I rolled over, taking a few seconds to place myself back home and in my own bed, before finding my phone to check the time. I wasn’t even upset it was so late. I had a few text messages checking on my alive-ness, and then a few more that read something like this.

 “Will you be traveling when you get back? Or would you have any interest in going somewhere with me?”
Haha, Whats your plan? Are you packed? When do you leave?
“Tomorrow morning, we gotta leave at like 6”
Um, is your flight on  Virgin Air tomorrow? I could fly with you for $200?!”
“Do not even get my hopes up!!!Thats what I paid.  Look up road to Hana, we’re renting a car. I have emails and stuff people sent…air bnb…couch surfers…hike…waterfalls…please please please…”

How do you say No? My laundry was pretty much done, my empty pack was laying there open on my floor ready to be refilled, and it was a plan in place where as of that moment I had no other. So I assessed my money situation. Stressed a fair amount about whether this was too selfish/rushed/unintelligent, and then called my mom. I figured if she freaked out, it would make me second guess my possibly irrational eagerness to commit. I’ve mentioned before how I strongly believe in signs and things happening for a reason, and all these things being in place the way they were felt very appropriate. Maybe my mom would throw me off. She didn’t. She also reminded me to reassess my money situation, then inquired about my physical readiness to sit on a plane for another 19 hours (thanks for bringing that one up) and my level of preparedness for another few weeks away from home. Then she totally surprised me as excitement crept into her voice reminiscing about her times in Hawaii and how beautiful it is and throwing out places and landmarks I’ve never even heard of. Maybe I should have kicked off my travelbug ways back in the day  with Hawaii and warmed her up to all these other travels?! Sorry mom!

So, all things lead to go. The website even used visa checkout (aka one click and POOF, money gone) so ticket buying happened in a second. It was then 6:00 pm---twelve hours until heading back to the airport. I’ve got to admit, this is by far the most impromptu venture I’ve ever made with the quickest packing job and least amount of thought, and I’m still waiting for the shock to set in…but honestly, I don’t think it will. It all just feels right and has moved too smoothly and I’m with my original travel friends once again. We have an hour til touchdown in San Fran and then a bit of a wait before out second leg. But by the time I sleep tonight, I will be in Maui---one of the most beautiful places one earth according to my Grandma (yes, she gave me the green light to go too <and would have come right along had it not been quite so last minute>) and, I suppose, officially taking a vacation from my vacation.

You can be a little jealous <3

Oh, and so sorry friends for the lack of communication the last few hours…I was a tad bit busy rushed and apologize for not filling you in on my plans….they are very much still in the works! I love you all dearly and will be back soon xoxo

3 comments:

  1. YOU ARE AMAZING! HAVE A BLAST! MISS YOU! :)

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  2. Your adventures are very inspiring and when I read your stories, it takes me out of the real rat race world. Keep up the great work and enjoy the time and learn as much as you can. Safe travels. Look forward to getting lost again for a few minutes after a long day.🌝✌

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