The Beauty of Travel

  "Travel isn't always pretty. It isn't always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that's okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind." -Anthony Bourdain

   This has been one of my favorite quotes recently for so many reasons. I've always loved to travel, but I had never completely "lived" it. Most traveling happens for a few days, or up to a week or two if you're lucky. On these trips you usually hit all the tourist-y spots before it's time to pack up and head back home to your normal life.

   I've never been very good with change, but had been enthusiastic for this trip for a few years. The drive from Quicksburg to Emerald Isle was full of mixed emotions; nostalgia for home and excitement towards the future, and lots of sleeping on my part (sorry Mom, I'm not a good co-pilot!) The last day in Virginia had been quite a blur, so the ride was pretty calming after such a hectic day. I had been running all day trying to see as many of my friends as possible, and packing all my junk into my not-yet-finished camper, and then hitting the road late that night. 

   Once I was getting adjusted to living here, the rose-colored glasses I may have accidentally put on while planning for the trip, came off. Reality hit with some unexpected bills and just the regular monthly ones, and the job hunt was difficult. I put in lots of applications, rejected a job offer because I thought another would be better, only for it to fall through. I've had a lot of homesickness and determined that I will have to re-home my best friend after talking with a local dog trainer about my options. It felt like everything I had planned on, was crumbling beneath me and there was nothing I could do. I felt bad that I have been miserable even though I'm on "The Trip of a Lifetime." Much like "normal life" though (is there such a thing? haha), you have to take the bad days with the good.  I've been told by many people to "have faith, things will work out." Some days that's harder than others, and some days, like yesterday, He sends a sign that convinces me I'm right where I should be.

   I went to the campground laundromat and there was an older lady in there folding her laundry. I still had a few minutes on the timer so I waited. There was the usual small talk, the typical "how are you's" and "the weather is getting pretty hot out there today!" But, the great part about campgrounds like this one, is some people live here full-time, and some people just come in every weekend. As we talked I learned that she had been to all seven continents, and would be on her way to Russia in a few days. Her and her husband were from Lake Norman, which is near Charlotte, North Carolina, and that she only comes to the campground about twice a year. I couldn't fully hear her soft-spoken voice over the washers and dryers, but it sounded like she said she was a tour guide. Living in a military town, I got the usual question of, "So are you a military wife?" I explained that no, I wasn't a military wife and talked about our new lifestyle and plans. She seemed genuinely excited and asked a few questions before I headed back to my camper. 

   So, as the quote says, travel isn't always pretty. There's going to be days much harder than others, days where I'd much rather be at home with my friends; but there will be the good days too, where I'm constantly getting to learn new things, see new places, and meet new people.  I have to remember to have faith and always be thankful for the little signs like yesterday, to be reminded of my dreams when I'm unsure of them myself, and to keep pushing myself forward. I've have always wanted to see as much of this world as I could, and that is what I'm going to do. I also have to remember that I (hopefully!) have plenty of time to do everything I want to do with my life, it's not just a now or never decision to live all of my dreams within the next year.