Now its real.
People know we are going, and what a relief that is!!
It feels so great to finally be able to openly talk about the trip.
Josh and I have been planning this trip solely within the confines of our apartment and our google shared ‘world travel’ drive for the last 7-8 months. Keeping all our questions, concerns, curiosity, wonder, and excitement to just us two…
Is this crazy? Can we really quit our jobs? Should we? What will people say? Will my mom freak out? Where should we go first? How long should we go? What’s the best time of year to hike Machu Picchu? How much does it cost to live in Budapest? Have you had the Hepatitis A shot yet? How do we stay healthy? I love AIRBNB! Can we ride a camel through the desert? I Hate Malaria! Can we stay in a treehouse? The Northern Lights? YES PLEASE! Let’s change the world! Is easy jet a decent airline? What is the Eurail like when we aren’t students? How can we make a difference? What do we WEAR?!!! I want to get a Go Pro! How do I edit videos? How do I start a blog? Travel insurance huh? Does that cover dental? Should we bring our iPhone? Headlamps, definitely need headlamps… How will we get service? Mmmm… I can’t wait for some Thai food. I want to ride an elephant. What about our 401K? It costs money to volunteer? Can I live without cell service? REI is having a sale! How much do we need to save? Is that really enough? Where should we volunteer? Can I live off of only 2 pairs of shoes? How can we avoid ATM? Thank you Charles Schwab! Will we ever be able to buy a house? I will miss our friends! I love California. Can I really leave a job I love? Am I still successful if I leave my work? What if we don’t find a job when we get home? Is this the right timing?
For awhile the trip felt a little bit like a figment of our imaginations that may never actually become a reality. Something this big and this risky could easily be questioned or worried away by your own inner voice, or for fear of what others might think of you. For concern that you are committing career suicide, or getting behind in that next stage of life you are supposed entering at 30. It could easily be chalked up as ‘not the right time’ or as being ‘irresponsible’.
All of these thoughts crossed my mind at some point during our planning stages. It’s a lot of work making something like this a reality and it’s also a big decision. I kept thinking, should we wait 6 more months, then go? Or maybe in a year when things settle down at work? Maybe we should just take a one-two month vacation instead…Josh and I kept doing research and planning the trip as if we were going, getting giddy with all the cool places we could see and opportunities there were out there, but we kept prolonging the final decision.
“Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” — Helen Keller
We both knew in our hearts what we wanted to do. We both wanted it so badly we would burst with excitement just thinking about it. We planned every chance we got, dreaming of what we mountains we’d climb, what food we’d try and who we would meet… It consumed our free time. We both wanted to make a difference in the word so badly that it couldn’t be ignored. When you take doubt and fear out of the conversation our decision was already made. We had to do it.
I’ve always dreamed of making an impact and seeing the world. Why not be bold and make a dream into a reality? And to find a husband who is just a passionate about these same things? Perfection. God has blessed Josh and I and brought us together to pursue great things. We can’t wait to see how it all unfolds in this next season of our lives.
Telling people was scary. You don’t know how they will react. But once we told our close family, friends, and work it became real. And it became liberating. And exciting. It made a dream into a reality! I feel like i’m 7 years old again going to bed on christmas eve. I have these constant butterflies of excitement, and It’s such a great feeling! I know not everything will go according to plan and that travel can be much tougher than it seems on the surface, but I am so happy we decided to go with our hearts and take the plunge into a new world.
Let the adventure begin.
Leave a Reply