In March 2013 I took a 3 week trip to Cambodia and Thailand. I thought that an adventure of that magnitude would squelch this travel bug I have rooted inside of me... only to find that it only fueled the flames for my desire to travel!
What is a girl to do when she has Everything... A beautiful home, great roommates, a nice car, a job that allows her the flexibility to travel, a fantastic family that loves her.... when this need to travel dampens all of them. I'll tell you what she does... she pauses to take a look deep inside to see what truly makes her happy. In the quiet moments she allows that inner voice- not the voice that says "it is crazy to leave, you have everything you could want... your life IS amazing. Just buck up and be happy" listen to the smaller voice that says "on paper that all is fine... but be true to yourself! Be free!" Well... that and a sister that said "Go... Go now! Don't wait!"
So I made the decision... To LEAVE. And I can tell you... that was the hardest part of all. The Decision. Once it was made... Peace came to me. Peace and Happiness and a big slice of excitement for the adventure. Well... that and putting my life in order to leave.
To Do's
Prepare for this adventure on a limited budget.
Quit my job
Rent my house
Rent or Sell my Car
I am not exactly sure why, but the moment I decided to leave... I knew that I would be going to Spain. Why Spain? I'm not 100% sure. I knew I wanted to go to Europe. I knew that I wanted to improve and turn my Spanglish skills into more Spanish than English. I wasn't comfortable with the idea of traveling to South America by myself. So... Spain it was.
Now how to keep my expenses to a minimum? I got on the beautiful internet and started to google things like "Safe places to travel for single women" "How to travel on a budget" and my heart started to pound quickly because the more I read the more I realized... not only am I going to do this.. but I am going to LOVE IT!
I saw that people participated in a website called Couch Surfing. So I explored that option. (I will write more about Couch Surfing in another post.) Essentially it is staying with locals for free- but with the mindset of sharing a cultural experience together. I immediately began to host people to see what this was all about. I fell in love with it.
Now the hard part. I had to tell my parents I was quitting my job (I work for them at our family business.) Of course it was hard for them to let me go... but they were nothing but supportive because they recognize this need for travel in me (they instilled it in me!) They asked if I would be willing to call it a sabbatical and make sure that I came back to help for the busy Christmas Season. That seemed more than fair. That would give me the chance to really get a small feel of what it is like to live elsewhere... but also short enough that I could keep my perfect life at home "intact" enough to come back. I agreed to the offer.
Next I had a house full of furniture, appliances, and well... a bunch of STUFF. Could I find a way to not have to move or get rid of everything and yet not have the burden of a Mortgage while I was gone? Blessings happen and things fell right into place. My 1 roommate wanted to stay and continue to live as she had (almost like her own apartment.) Then one of my greatest friends found out that her house that she was renting was being sold and she needed a place. Not only that... but needed it right when I was leaving. I truly knew that this was right because it couldn't have been more perfect. So I just moved my personal belongings into one room and then left the rest of the house furnished for her and her roommate!! What a miracle!
I only had my car left. What to do? I asked my parents.... who happened to be in need of a car. They told me that they needed a car to use and would be willing to lease it from me.
Things started to come together so nicely that I knew whether this adventure turned out to be good or bad... it was meant to be.
So with a LOT of research, preplanning *leaving enough room for spontaneity* I embarked on this New chapter in my life........SPAIN!!!
What is a girl to do when she has Everything... A beautiful home, great roommates, a nice car, a job that allows her the flexibility to travel, a fantastic family that loves her.... when this need to travel dampens all of them. I'll tell you what she does... she pauses to take a look deep inside to see what truly makes her happy. In the quiet moments she allows that inner voice- not the voice that says "it is crazy to leave, you have everything you could want... your life IS amazing. Just buck up and be happy" listen to the smaller voice that says "on paper that all is fine... but be true to yourself! Be free!" Well... that and a sister that said "Go... Go now! Don't wait!"
So I made the decision... To LEAVE. And I can tell you... that was the hardest part of all. The Decision. Once it was made... Peace came to me. Peace and Happiness and a big slice of excitement for the adventure. Well... that and putting my life in order to leave.
 |
| 5 Months of my life in 2 bags |
Prepare for this adventure on a limited budget.
Quit my job
Rent my house
Rent or Sell my Car
I am not exactly sure why, but the moment I decided to leave... I knew that I would be going to Spain. Why Spain? I'm not 100% sure. I knew I wanted to go to Europe. I knew that I wanted to improve and turn my Spanglish skills into more Spanish than English. I wasn't comfortable with the idea of traveling to South America by myself. So... Spain it was.
Now how to keep my expenses to a minimum? I got on the beautiful internet and started to google things like "Safe places to travel for single women" "How to travel on a budget" and my heart started to pound quickly because the more I read the more I realized... not only am I going to do this.. but I am going to LOVE IT!
I saw that people participated in a website called Couch Surfing. So I explored that option. (I will write more about Couch Surfing in another post.) Essentially it is staying with locals for free- but with the mindset of sharing a cultural experience together. I immediately began to host people to see what this was all about. I fell in love with it.
Now the hard part. I had to tell my parents I was quitting my job (I work for them at our family business.) Of course it was hard for them to let me go... but they were nothing but supportive because they recognize this need for travel in me (they instilled it in me!) They asked if I would be willing to call it a sabbatical and make sure that I came back to help for the busy Christmas Season. That seemed more than fair. That would give me the chance to really get a small feel of what it is like to live elsewhere... but also short enough that I could keep my perfect life at home "intact" enough to come back. I agreed to the offer.
Next I had a house full of furniture, appliances, and well... a bunch of STUFF. Could I find a way to not have to move or get rid of everything and yet not have the burden of a Mortgage while I was gone? Blessings happen and things fell right into place. My 1 roommate wanted to stay and continue to live as she had (almost like her own apartment.) Then one of my greatest friends found out that her house that she was renting was being sold and she needed a place. Not only that... but needed it right when I was leaving. I truly knew that this was right because it couldn't have been more perfect. So I just moved my personal belongings into one room and then left the rest of the house furnished for her and her roommate!! What a miracle!
I only had my car left. What to do? I asked my parents.... who happened to be in need of a car. They told me that they needed a car to use and would be willing to lease it from me.
Things started to come together so nicely that I knew whether this adventure turned out to be good or bad... it was meant to be.
So with a LOT of research, preplanning *leaving enough room for spontaneity* I embarked on this New chapter in my life........SPAIN!!!
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