3 harsh lessons from 1,5 years of traveling full-time

You might not want to hear these, but you need to hear these.

Solo traveling has been a major game-changer in my life, right after birthing a human, I guess. While becoming a mom in my early twenties has unveiled a great deal about my inner child, traveling has revealed a lot about the person I aspire to become. The lessons I’ve learned in a span of only 1.5 years would definitely have taken me lifetimes to understand if I had never embarked on this journey. I’m a firm believer that we have to witness how people live, away from our own upbringing, to create a life that truly feels authentic to us — one that isn’t built upon the goals others expect us to chase, but rather, one that is constructed based on our authentic desires and values. Traveling, in particular, serves as a powerful catalyst for this self-discovery. It exposes us to diverse cultures, perspectives, and ways of life, breaking us free from the confines of our familiar surroundings.

So, dear reader, here are some things I’ve learned along the way — somewhere between sleepless nights on airport benches, staying with indigenous tribes and chatting with fellow travelers over a cold coconut.

#1 Your shitty habits stay shitty in a pretty place.

I started traveling full-time in pursuit of leaving my old life behind and exploring who I really aspire to be in this lifetime. Undoubtedly, this new version of myself has infused my life with more excitement, and although my friends constantly assure me that I’m literally living their vision board, I sometimes don’t feel as happy as I probably should.

For so long, I thought I could avoid certain experiences by simply hopping on another flight. I was running away from heartbreaks, conflicts, and responsibilities. In fact, I was running away from myself for a while, constantly seeking more adrenaline and new experiences.