Travel this, travel that. Why don't you travel with some bitches?

When I first started this blog my number one goal was to make sure I stay consistent and never miss a week of posting. 

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Well about two months in and I’ve already failed at that.

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But it’s okay, we keep it moving here at Dloveandfriends. Can’t let small things get in the way of big dreams.

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I have a good reason though. I’ve been pretty busy these past two months, and frankly I haven’t really had the freetime to reflect meaningfully about much, so I think I’ll just take the time to do a check in on what’s been going on recently in my life.

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A few months ago I decided to start traveling more. My best friend and I decided to take advantage of our unemployment and book a last minute trip to Europe for two weeks. I then returned home and had Covid for about two weeks (that shit was ass) and then went to Joshua Tree National Park to watch the meteor shower with some friends. I then went on another trip to Hawaii but unfortunately had to cut my trip in half because I somehow got sick again and had a minor eye infection.

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So needless to say, it’s been a busy month. I’m either exploring some part of the world or I’m laying on my couch helplessly in pain in between trips. 

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But I’m back home now. And with more trips coming up I’m exhausted, but still excited. 

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With all of this movement on my part I think I have gained some new insights though. 

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One of the biggest for me is that it’s actually made me miss home, which is something that I would have never really imagined two years ago.

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Traveling is amazing because it introduces you to so many new experiences, situations, and it really tests you on how you behave in situations that are brand new to you. Seeing the world really does broaden your horizons and is a nice shake up in the monotonous ruts that we find ourselves in from time to time. 

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I’m also here to say that traveling actually has its own set of challenges and issues. What I’ve come to realize is traveling is actually a ton of work and isn’t all it’s cracked up to be sometimes. The physical act of traveling, meaning sitting on a plane or a train to your destination, for me is a nightmare. I’m simply too big of a person and my legs are too damn long to sit comfortably like that for too long. 

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Not to mention that it actually takes a lot out of you. At least for me, I feel the pressure to make the most out of every day and want to see and do as many things as I can before I have to leave. But after three or four days of this constant movement, I need a day to do literally nothing.

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I’m not used to this kind of constant activity. Walking around (so much walking), figuring out the plans for the day, all of the logistics. And then when you get back to your room what to do for that night and then the next day too.

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It’s a ton of work having to make decisions all of the time and then have to carry out those decisions. 

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Some first world problems right there for you.

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But at the same time, you’re forced to live completely in the moment and soak up everything that is happening. Meeting new people, trying new foods, experiencing life, it’s amazing.

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Traveling is a great experience, yes, but don’t underestimate how much work it can be. Not to mention expensive too. 

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But after all of it, I can honestly say that I’m glad to have my time at home when I can. While it may be boring, that’s totally fine with me. I don’t need excitement every second of my life, I need some balance.

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I realize I’m the type of person who needs their downtime. Where I can sit and binge a show for a day and go to the gym as much as I want. 

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Most importantly collect my thoughts after everything is done.

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Something I also realized as a downside of traveling is if you go too hard for too long, your body will start to shut down on you after a while. 

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The second I came back home, I got extremely sick and was forced to just sit at home and recover. And everytime I would leave town again I could feel myself almost getting sick again and again. I feel like it was my body’s way of telling me, “Just sit down and relax, you’re doing too much.”

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At the end of the day, I’m lucky to be able to have these experiences. And I’m excited to eventually come back to these places when my wallet recovers and I’ve spent more time away. I guess that’s the whole experience right? Influencers don’t really show the boring stuff like waiting at baggage claim or trying to find your hotel so you can check in after being in transit all day. I think the fantasy of it all is definitely romanticized quite a bit to only show the final destination and not all the work it took to get there.

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As I was walking around Europe I would find myself thinking, “What life lesson am I going to take away from this trip? I write a blog and feel obligated to say something profound and inspiring from this experience.”

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But really, I don’t have anything super meaningful to say about it. Besides it being really fun and really exhausting. 

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Sometimes I guess that's all it can be. I don’t think it’s this magical adventure where you figure out the answer to all your life’s problems, like I somehow made it out to be in my head.

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I’ll be honest, a part of me went on this trip in some hopes of “finding myself” and bringing back revelation-like insights that would make me a better and more well rounded person. I think this belief comes from most people believing many of our day to day problems are all external. Thinking things like, “If only I lived here or I visited here, then my life would be different or even better.” But really, being in a different location geographically isn’t going to change the way you feel. You’ll just be surrounded with new and different shit. 

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Traveling isn’t going to give you any answers to your enigmatic internal machinations. It isn’t a bandaid to cure all solutions to all your problems. It’s just a fun experience to have at the end of the day.

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Like the old saying goes, “Wherever you go, there you are.”

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I was actually surprised with how excited I was to be back in the United States after it was all done. Having easy access to good asian food, mexican food, and having my own car. After staying in hostels for two weeks, even having my own room were all luxuries I didn’t expect to appreciate so much.

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Although, I am glad to know now that I’m capable of traveling across the world on a whim with mostly no complications involved. Just the knowledge that I’ve done something somewhat difficult and I can do it again is good to know that I’m capable of surviving in new environments. 

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But right now, I’m actually happy to be home so I can have a chance to rest and relax. Now that I have time to have somewhat of a more normal life is a nice contrast to the constant movement of traveling in between countries. 

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I’m actually enjoying the time I have to get my life back together before I have to leave for the next one.