How Travel Has Shaped My Story
As I woke up today on a tiny island in Ireland, a realization struck me: I have just 30 days left in my 30s!
Exactly 20 years ago, I got to travel around Europe for the first time with my best friend, Anna.
That summer was a whirlwind of new experiences and life lessons. We crossed the continent by train, stayed in hostels where we forged friendships with people from all corners of the globe, and carried what we thought were essentials for six weeks on our backs. It didn't take long for us to realize that most of what we had packed was just dead weight – a metaphor that would resonate throughout my life.
Since that transformative trip, I've placed immense value on travel. It's become my gateway to step outside my own paradigm, explore new perspectives, and gain appreciation for the myriad ways people organize their lives – ways that are often equally, if not more, fulfilling than what I'd previously known.
This final year of my thirties has been particularly special. Traveling the globe with Charlie has brought me immeasurable joy and personal growth. Today, to celebrate my 39 years and 11 months, we embarked on an intense bicycle ride across Inis Mor to visit a massive geological structure that left me in awe. To fuel our adventure, we ate cake for breakfast at our favorite café on the island, Teach Nan Phaidis.
Someone once told me that maturing is the process of letting go of everything that isn't truly us and becoming more of who we are inside. As I approach this milestone birthday, I resonate deeply with this sentiment. I'm still learning how to embody the truest expression of myself, but I can say with certainty that I am more authentically "me" today than I was a year ago – largely thanks to all the traveling I've been able to do recently.
Travel has been my teacher, my mirror, and my playground. It has challenged me, inspired me, and helped me shed the unnecessary while embracing the essential. As I stand on the threshold of a new decade, I'm filled with gratitude for the journeys I've taken – both across the world and within myself.
Here's to the adventures that shape us, the experiences that enlighten us, and the continuous journey of becoming our truest selves. May we never stop exploring, both the world around us and the depths within.
I’ll leave you with some of my favorite memories from our visit to Inis Mor, Ireland.
