Seven months ago

You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say.

— Paulo Coelho

Seven months ago I officially embarked on the greatest adventure of my life so far. As I sit typing in this McDonald’s in the middle of nowhere North Carolina, I contemplate how far I’ve come this year. A child, about nine or ten years old, just walked up to me and started a conversation about how she admired my keyboard cover. I love kids but a year ago this would have shot my social anxiety through the roof. I have always admired those kind of people who could walk up to strangers and spark a conversation out of nothing. But as I engaged this girl in small talk, charmed by her confidence and authenticity, I saw a bit of myself in her and had an epiphany. I had been doing this all year; maybe not so much at first, but the more I traveled the more confidence I gained in approaching people just for the sake of wanting to share an interaction with them. The purpose of this blog is solely personal. I want to recount moments like this from my backpacking trip this year — the awesome, the challenging, and the crazy. This will serve as a way to catch up on the journaling I never did while on the road but also as an additional creative outlet to exercise self-love. I want a place to share my stories where those who want to read them can. So if you fall into this category, I welcome you and I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences as much as I enjoyed living them.