Breaking Free
15,616.8 miles. 9 months. 14 states. 43 beaches. 4 mountain peaks.
This is the journey of a 20 year old self-taught smart ass who had enough of the bullshit.
Have you ever had a longing inside of you? A longing that dug itself so deep into your heart it became as vital as breathing. You wake up early and go to bed late because of it. You know exactly what I'm talking about.
For myself, this desire is travel. To see and experience as much as possible. I live for it. Up until August of 2016 I was not actively doing anything to pursue that dream. I did not feel worthy of doing what my heart desired. I felt that my dream was too big for me and that someday I would have the money to do what would make me happy. So I continued on working at the bank and going to school. During my lunch breaks a spark of excitement would jolt through me knowing that I would get to research destinations to explore. A screen is as close as I would ever get to the peaks of mountains and the valleys of canyons. I always told myself if I had enough money I could pursue my nomadic dream. And for some reason, that was good enough for me. That little bit of hope is what kept me going.
When July 2016 neared there were a lot of changes occurring in my life. I left the small town of Bemidji, MN to pursue the big city in hopes of a more exciting life. My boyfriend of 2 years and I decided that things weren't working out. So there I was. A freshly single 19 year old in the middle of a city with nothing but a suitcase I had packed. Immediately I dove into personal growth. I began researching on the Law of Attraction. Something that was completely new to me. The people that I began attracting in my life during that month were crucial. I began writing down every desire I had to see the world. In July I had written, "I will move to Hawai'i by November 1st 2016." I continued to work at the bank while I lived there. Hating every moment of it. By the time August came around I had my first plane ticket booked out to California to see a friend. This was the first commercial airplane I had ever been on. Also, the coolest place I had ever been to next to Wisconsin Dells. While out in California we hiked Yosemite and did various other things I had written on my dream list. Fast forward 2 months and I had already quit my job at the bank, road tripped from California to Florida and moved to Hawai'i. Exact date?October 26th, 2016 ;)
But what changed inside of me over those 3 months? What gave me the confidence and motivation to finally say, "I have had enough of simply dreaming my dream." To break out of the rat race that so many people get sucked into. What pushed me to finally start living.
A lot of things come to mind when I think about this. Mainly the people that I was attracting into my life. I realized that once I began thinking more positively about my situation things actually became more positive. I know this isn't rocket science but sometimes it is a difficult thing to truly practice. Especially when you feel like the world is attacking you from all angles. That became my new motto. 'Change your mindset, change your life." As soon as I was able to shift my mindset I was able to realize that I was in complete control of my life. If I wanted to feel happy all the time I could. I then noticed that I could do that in all aspects of my life. Anything that made me feel bad I removed from my life. The number one thing on that list was my job at the bank. Of course on the the contrary anything that made me feel good or happy I enhanced in my life. I knew that the number one thing on that list was to travel and to live somewhere tropical. So it only made sense to go on a 12 day road trip across the country and book my ticket to Hawai'i. With the support of good friends and lots of wine to help me make my decision I was off. Within three months of deciding what I wanted and setting my mind to it I was able to make one of my biggest dreams happen. And with a lot less money than I had in mind.
If you want something bad enough you will find means to make it happen. So if you're anything like me and have had an itch to do something no matter what it be I encourage you to do so. There is no better time to make your dreams happen than now. Now is all we have. So if there is that one thing you've been telling yourself you'll do when you have the money or when you have the skills, just do it. You have that passion and desire for a reason. And you are going to be a badass at it.
Stay Inspired,
Yours truly
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