The Reason for My Silence

solo female travel around Europe

At SEATAC Airport getting ready to head to my first stop- Zurich in Switzerland, where I didn’t stay longer than an hour and decided I wanted to head straight for Milan!

I know it has been a long time since I have written, as I have been “hibernating” in my personal blogging journey ever since my return from a month around Europe last September.

This was the most incredible journey. When I realized the freedom I have to move, meet, mingle and jump into cultures, it truly made everything else seem meaningless, at least for me. So upon my return home, I fell into a deep depression. But I highly doubt anyone noticed. Not the typical depression, but a most definite ‘funk,’ for me. Almost spirit killing, if it wasn’t for my job that has given me the nurturing home space to revive and grow my energy, drive and inspiration, while keeping it all together. (If you are curious what I have been writing about for the last year, check out the company blog here.)

I really just wanted to stay in Europe, without a care. Not only unrealistic but literally without a plan. It couldn’t and wouldn’t happen, but I kept dreaming which probably only perpetuated my sadness and longing to return there.

I will often say that the hardest part of travel is coming home.

Sure, there are trips where all you can think of is getting back to your own bed, your own stuff, the normalcy of it all. But this was not one of those adventures.

Tourist life in Milan, Italy

Queen for the day while exploring Sforza Castle in Milano.

This was about meeting strangers that you feel you have known for ages, and getting wrapped up in the moment. Meeting people unlike you have ever met before or thought could even exist. That was my adventure and it has been difficult to put it into words.

Having the journey of a lifetime in just a short span of a few weeks makes you never want to return to your old life, and that is exactly what happened to me.

But I had to. I came home to everything being exactly as I had left it, only thing that had changed was me. I started to think differently. My desires, goals, cares, were slightly warped from before. Feeling reborn while everything else seemed at a standstill, I did my best to keep my mind off of my trip.

Travel does that to a person.

One moment you think you know exactly how you feel, what you need, what you believe. Then, you stumble upon different points of view that literally open you up to understand the world in a whole new light.

Through understanding you are able to make it a part of you, a part of your own soul, morality and character. It deepens your understanding of the world around you, while making you realize how little you actually know. Like the old saying goes, ‘the more you see the less you know.’

It’s true.

Travel does this you. You feel like you have traveled a million miles while everything around you seems to still be in yesteryear. People don’t understand how you could do what you do, yet they all secretly desire to escape as well. But how can you make this last?

Isn’t that one of the great mysteries of life?

If I find out the answer, I will surely post another blog. 😉