Well, you’re not alone. That was me. Then I decided to travel the world and it changed everything. Being born in the USA, we grow up being sold this idea of what life is supposed to look like. But one day, I just wasn’t buying it anymore.

What is this life we have to follow in order to be “successful”? Go to college, get a secure job, buy a house, a fancy car, get married, buy all the things, have kids, and save your entire life for retirement.

Keeping up with the Joneses, they call it. This is the American Dream.

Now it is nice, I know that. And there’s nothing wrong with having and doing these things. For some people that is exactly what they want out of life. But for others, like me, something about it just feels unfulfilling. Like there is something missing. 

What if you don’t want all of those things? Or what if you don’t want them in that order? How about if you want to create your own idea of what is successful? I felt like I was always searching for something, I just didn’t know what.

Following the American Dream

I started out following the dream. I went straight from high school, to college, and got my Associate’s degree. Between the drinking, the parties, and insistence from my mother, I graduated with honors and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training. (My mom was adamant I needed to be in the medical field because “all successful people are doctors and lawyers”) 

Have you ever been fed that lie before?

But I knew I didn’t want to be a doctor or a lawyer, so I just researched what options there were and went with the most interesting one. College was great; I learned a lot and had a great time. They were some of the best memories of my life, to be honest. But I never took the time to sit back and think – what do I want to actually do for the rest of my life?

Right On Cue For That American Dream

Then I thought I wanted to go to grad school. That I needed to, in order to check off that next box of success. So I started to do everything that was necessary to apply. 

In the meantime, I had gotten offered a pretty great job right after graduating, where I ended up working in my field for a year and a half. It didn’t take long for me to realize – that this wasn’t my passion. Not only the medical field, but the whole 9-5 grind in an office, living for the weekends. Only getting 1-2 weeks of vacation a year.

Did you know that according to research by the U.S. Travel Association, Oxford Economics, and Ispos, “Americans didn’t use 768 million vacation days in 2018. Of the unused days, 236 million were forfeited completely”. That is insanity!

There was no way I was going to be happy doing that for the rest of my life.

Eventually, I moved, where I pursued a couple of different careers. One was for an online company, that totally opened my eyes to this whole other world of working from a laptop. Once I had a glimpse of that, I knew life could be different. I was going to make it my mission to figure out how.

Then the rise of social media into what it is today started to happen. It was no longer just about posting funny pictures of yourself, your dog, or what you made for dinner to your friends and family. (but lets be real, we still do that). It started to become globally interconnected. Now you could see what people were doing all over the world, at any given time.

Backpackers, euro-trips, and hostels were no longer scenes from a movie. They were real people, my age, from all over the world, traveling solo, out there exploring off the beaten path. The more I saw, the more I thought, I HAVE to do that! Social media opened my eyes to another world, another life that I could be living if I would just dare to try it. 

Once I got back home, I started busting my ass working 6 days a week. I paid off all my debt (except college, HA that’s a dream right?), and put away all the money I could.

This meant no more going out with friends to the bars, going out to eat, and no more shopping. All things that were huge parts of my life, became so easy to let go now that I had a new goal in mind. Then it was finally time to say goodbye to my family, friends, and beloved cat Milo, and hop on a one-way flight to Bangkok.

MY MISSION

After navigating the world for a year, I came home. The reverse culture shock and post-travel depression I had read about, ended up being a very real thing. It didn’t take me long to decide that I wasn’t finished with this chapter of my life.

So I packed up my bags and headed to Australia. After a month in, the global pandemic of COVID struck, leaving me basically jobless, in the middle of nowhere Australia with nothing but time on my hands.

Since then, I have been honing in on my online skills that I’m using to work remotely. And I figured, there’s no better time than now to start a blog. A blog where I can inspire others, share tips, and resources. To show how to live an unconventional life that we didn’t grow up learning about, but which is totally possible.

A life where you can find what makes you happy, figure out how to use that to become a digital nomad that allows you the flexibility and freedom to live your life on your own terms. How to travel the world confidently, affordably, and even free if it fits your style. To no longer live for the weekends, but to live every day you wake up. 

If you want to get started on your own journey, I’ve put together this guide on how to plan your first solo trip or any trip. I hope to inspire you to get started on your own adventure!

That is my mission ♥

XX CHRISTINE

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