Why?

You might be wondering, why uproot your whole life, quit your job, leave your friends and family, and go on a vague international journey?

It’s a valid question.

I guess I have always had a streak of wanderlust. In high school, I had this map in my room with pins in all the countries that I wanted to visit (pictured above). I found it tucked away in a closet at my parents’ house recently and was sad to see how little progress I had made on that goal.

My brother is the one who has been accumulating stamps in his passport over the past couple years while I have been building a life in one place. And I did feel some jealousy of him. So when I had the opportunity to join him on a trip, I figured I should take advantage of it.

It was really amazing to live and work in Longmont. I loved my work and the community that I became a part of. But it began to feel very comfortable as I got settled into that life and I realized that I didn’t feel like I was growing much by the end.

If I know one thing about going new places, especially internationally, it’s that you will be pushed outside your comfort zone.

Leaving a familiar space and jumping into an unknown one is scary, but in my view, it’s also vital to continuing to grow as a person. And there are many ways to challenge yourself – certainly traveling isn’t the only one (and I realize it’s not an opportunity that everyone has). It just happens to be where my heart is calling me right now.

And ultimately, I just kept thinking, I want to see more of the world, and if not now, then when?