As I head into 2013, I take measure of where I have been.
Traveling to Italy in 2009 was a catalyst for change in ways
I could have never imagined. I was 23 years old. I bought a ticket and I showed up with a backpack not
knowing where I’d sleep or eat. I was spontaneous, at moments, perhaps a little
reckless. I was open to the new experiences and the unlimited possibilities of
life. Nothing in life is perfect and while I had my moments, overall, it could
not have been a more fitting experience for me.
I took two big trips in 2009, a backpacking adventure in Italy/France and a tour through Egypt. I lived in a trailer on my parents property and I attended my cousin's wedding in Reston, Virginia. Later, I moved from Portland to Seattle and started a new life as a pet store manager. I made one really great friend while I lived in Seattle, with whom I'm still very close too. 2010 was a quieter year of travel, just a visit to Mexico with my family and a couple short trips (San Francisco). 2011 was marked by the launching of my career with a big box retailer. I had thought that I'd move to Austin and try something completely new, but then a job offer came and I moved to Wenatchee instead. Moving cities once again brought change. A new place, new house, new things. I went to Vegas for a week but I did not travel out of country that year. In 2012, I backpacked through the land of my ancestors, Scotland. I fell in love with the countryside and it invigorated my passion for traveling abroad. My trip also made me realize that the excitement of random solo adventures can be isolating and lonely. I learned that I didn't want to travel quite in the same way I had before. Mid-way thru the year, I went to the countryside in Kentucky and spent a weekend with the female Napier clan. The rest of 2012, was filled with long days of work.
I took two big trips in 2009, a backpacking adventure in Italy/France and a tour through Egypt. I lived in a trailer on my parents property and I attended my cousin's wedding in Reston, Virginia. Later, I moved from Portland to Seattle and started a new life as a pet store manager. I made one really great friend while I lived in Seattle, with whom I'm still very close too. 2010 was a quieter year of travel, just a visit to Mexico with my family and a couple short trips (San Francisco). 2011 was marked by the launching of my career with a big box retailer. I had thought that I'd move to Austin and try something completely new, but then a job offer came and I moved to Wenatchee instead. Moving cities once again brought change. A new place, new house, new things. I went to Vegas for a week but I did not travel out of country that year. In 2012, I backpacked through the land of my ancestors, Scotland. I fell in love with the countryside and it invigorated my passion for traveling abroad. My trip also made me realize that the excitement of random solo adventures can be isolating and lonely. I learned that I didn't want to travel quite in the same way I had before. Mid-way thru the year, I went to the countryside in Kentucky and spent a weekend with the female Napier clan. The rest of 2012, was filled with long days of work.
I find myself traveling to Europe again in two days. This time, I’m
taking a suitcase. It’s the first time I have traveled without my pack. I know it might sound silly, but for me, it feels foreign. Thankfully, it's the good kind of foreign, the exciting kind. I feel as though I've grown up a little and I’m okay that. I’m
packing dresses, boots, and jewelry--the things that make me happy and feminine. I'm excited to go on vacation and dress up for dinner. I feel more aware of who I am now and what I like. That alone, feels good.
Another new chapter in my adult life, is that I'm traveling with a companion. My boyfriend Matt is coming with me. I'm so excited to share in this adventure with him. Everything about this trip is different: I have a travel partner, we're booking hotels, making plans in advance. I am not traveling as a "dirty hippie".
On a random note, I have this to-do list on my computer. Similar to a bucklist, it captures some of the things that have inspired me and that I'd like to make sure I do during my life. I've had it typed up and in an excel spreadsheet for years. Line item number 18 is to kiss underneath the Eiffel Tower. I don't know what prompted me to feel so passionately for this random moment in 2008, but I've dreamed of it. In just a couple days, I will be there. Standing underneath the Eiffel Tower with my handsome boyfriend. Accomplishing an item from my life's dream list is very exciting for me.
Another new chapter in my adult life, is that I'm traveling with a companion. My boyfriend Matt is coming with me. I'm so excited to share in this adventure with him. Everything about this trip is different: I have a travel partner, we're booking hotels, making plans in advance. I am not traveling as a "dirty hippie".
On a random note, I have this to-do list on my computer. Similar to a bucklist, it captures some of the things that have inspired me and that I'd like to make sure I do during my life. I've had it typed up and in an excel spreadsheet for years. Line item number 18 is to kiss underneath the Eiffel Tower. I don't know what prompted me to feel so passionately for this random moment in 2008, but I've dreamed of it. In just a couple days, I will be there. Standing underneath the Eiffel Tower with my handsome boyfriend. Accomplishing an item from my life's dream list is very exciting for me.
The reason that I'm heading to Paris in particular (my third time) is because my very best friend Courtney, moved there last year with her husband. Not only do I want to see my best friend, but I want to help celebrate her birthday and the news that she is expecting a baby in the spring. Matt and I are going to Paris (visiting Courtney & her husband), Brussels, Bruges, Reims, and then
flying back out of Paris. It appears that some components of me are changing and evolving. Backpacking four years ago
was the best possible decision for me. Now, traveling with plans and comfort is
the best decision for me.
I’m slammed with work and the mad dash of preparing to leave. Unfortunately, this blog won't be as long as I'd like. In true Jenny style, I’ll be
blogging before and during the trip….likely, not after I get back. It seems my
attempts at maintaining a travel blog usually fail. Therefore, I won't make promises to myself that I can't keep--but rather, will enjoy writing when I travel, as frequent or infrequently as those adventures are.
Ciao,
Jenny
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