It's been a couple months since my travels ended but I'm thinking why not continue the blog? So here I am. More than anything I guess I've missed writing down what's in my mind because as the days pass my thoughts change so I see it as a very useful tool for my own self development to keep writing and sharing my life experience. Why hide my thoughts away in a journal when I can share them with the world? Hmmm, I'm already finding this fun and therapeutic. Music on. Time to let the thoughts flow.
As I've started school and work back in southern Utah I feel fully back in the western world. I'm loving this time of my life. When I look back on my time in Europe it does feel a little dreamy and distant at this point, but I've had moments like earlier today where I really tune into the trip and just start crying. So much appreciation and love for the people I met and all the experiences I had. It's like if I play the whole trip like a time lapse movie in my head I can't help but be overcome with emotion. People from all over the world that I will never forget. England. Ireland. Switzerland. Mexico. Czech Republic. Poland. Australia. Germany. Sweden. Sicily. Boston. Pennsylvania. Italy. Canada. And the list goes on.
At times I really miss my days in Europe. It was just different. A totally different vibe and lifestyle. I love the way I did the whole trip and I wouldn't change anything about it. When I look back in retrospect it was so perfect for me because it gave me the opportunity to experience something completely different. From always living in the city to living in the countryside. From working in retail and in the office to working outside in the fresh air. From working for a local farm (storefront) to actually working on a farm. From living with a schedule to living with no schedule or itinerary. This is life experience that has been so incredibly useful to expand my mind and ultimately my life. And this whole idea of experiencing the other side of the pendulum is so important to me and my journey, because I refuse to have a one-sided mind and a one-track life.
Life is a bunch of moments strung together and inner change can feel almost imperceptible, but because of my time in Europe I feel a lot more capable. More able to crush challenges that come my way and quick to learn from my mistakes and move on. 6 months of raw life experience and free choices.
It's so exciting to think about all the possibilities, but hard in a sense as well because I know I can go anywhere and do anything. I could buy another one way ticket to Europe for this fall and be gone years, eventually marry someone, gain European citizenship, and then get a legit job and live my life in Europe until I die. I mean really who knows, I sure as hell don't, but I'm open to anything.
As of now I've been immersed in Western life a few months and the fact that I lived in Europe for months without technology and so many modern conveniences I definitely have a more well rounded perspective. I have a lot of thoughts about technology and its impact on my own life. I love that technology gives me the ability to keep in contact with friends and family for one, and also being able to look up and research basically anything, not to mention all the resources (like World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms - Work Away - etc) that give me an endless amount of opportunities all over the world, but I do feel that it takes more effort to stay balanced with all the technological distractions. At what point does it start to detract from one's life? My time in Sicily had just the right amount of technology. About every couple weeks, sometimes longer, sometimes a little shorter, I'd spend maybe an hour at an internet cafe. But geeze, when that time did come and I was able to listen to my beats, I've never heard anything so euphoric. And just the whole experience of being able to look up anything, email anyone, read emails from family, etc was incredible and so enhanced for the simple fact it was so rare, and therefore so appreciated.
There are so many possibilities living a life on the road and never staying in the same place too long. It feels like a part of me has always wanted to just be lost out in the unknown. Not only that, but all the growth and expansion of traveling the world and experiencing different cultures is so deeply enriching. I want the full human experience, and to me that means traveling, having an incredibly wide variety of experiences, and being around as many different people and as I can. To have any other mindset would be limiting to me. Like putting a giant wall around my heart.
Come next year, who knows, I may be off on The Lone Wolf Adventure #2.
Thanks for reading. More goodies to come in the following weeks :)
As I've started school and work back in southern Utah I feel fully back in the western world. I'm loving this time of my life. When I look back on my time in Europe it does feel a little dreamy and distant at this point, but I've had moments like earlier today where I really tune into the trip and just start crying. So much appreciation and love for the people I met and all the experiences I had. It's like if I play the whole trip like a time lapse movie in my head I can't help but be overcome with emotion. People from all over the world that I will never forget. England. Ireland. Switzerland. Mexico. Czech Republic. Poland. Australia. Germany. Sweden. Sicily. Boston. Pennsylvania. Italy. Canada. And the list goes on.
At times I really miss my days in Europe. It was just different. A totally different vibe and lifestyle. I love the way I did the whole trip and I wouldn't change anything about it. When I look back in retrospect it was so perfect for me because it gave me the opportunity to experience something completely different. From always living in the city to living in the countryside. From working in retail and in the office to working outside in the fresh air. From working for a local farm (storefront) to actually working on a farm. From living with a schedule to living with no schedule or itinerary. This is life experience that has been so incredibly useful to expand my mind and ultimately my life. And this whole idea of experiencing the other side of the pendulum is so important to me and my journey, because I refuse to have a one-sided mind and a one-track life.
Life is a bunch of moments strung together and inner change can feel almost imperceptible, but because of my time in Europe I feel a lot more capable. More able to crush challenges that come my way and quick to learn from my mistakes and move on. 6 months of raw life experience and free choices.
It's so exciting to think about all the possibilities, but hard in a sense as well because I know I can go anywhere and do anything. I could buy another one way ticket to Europe for this fall and be gone years, eventually marry someone, gain European citizenship, and then get a legit job and live my life in Europe until I die. I mean really who knows, I sure as hell don't, but I'm open to anything.
As of now I've been immersed in Western life a few months and the fact that I lived in Europe for months without technology and so many modern conveniences I definitely have a more well rounded perspective. I have a lot of thoughts about technology and its impact on my own life. I love that technology gives me the ability to keep in contact with friends and family for one, and also being able to look up and research basically anything, not to mention all the resources (like World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms - Work Away - etc) that give me an endless amount of opportunities all over the world, but I do feel that it takes more effort to stay balanced with all the technological distractions. At what point does it start to detract from one's life? My time in Sicily had just the right amount of technology. About every couple weeks, sometimes longer, sometimes a little shorter, I'd spend maybe an hour at an internet cafe. But geeze, when that time did come and I was able to listen to my beats, I've never heard anything so euphoric. And just the whole experience of being able to look up anything, email anyone, read emails from family, etc was incredible and so enhanced for the simple fact it was so rare, and therefore so appreciated.
There are so many possibilities living a life on the road and never staying in the same place too long. It feels like a part of me has always wanted to just be lost out in the unknown. Not only that, but all the growth and expansion of traveling the world and experiencing different cultures is so deeply enriching. I want the full human experience, and to me that means traveling, having an incredibly wide variety of experiences, and being around as many different people and as I can. To have any other mindset would be limiting to me. Like putting a giant wall around my heart.
Come next year, who knows, I may be off on The Lone Wolf Adventure #2.
Thanks for reading. More goodies to come in the following weeks :)
Glad you're going to keep up the blog! Good to hear what your doing and thinking about :)
ReplyDeleteJust hopped online to see if you were posting... nice to see that's the case! Cataloging experiences is a great opportunity--if for nothing else--to ponder and reflect. I like writing on paper. It slows down my day, allows me to reflect on past experiences, and gives me the opportunity visualize the future. The challenge of this though, as you've pointed out, is that it isn't easy to share.
ReplyDeleteI have the same conflicting feelings about technology! It's a blessing but the at what point does it become a curse! I struggle with this all the time! Thanks for posting!
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