travel: deep reflections on this gift.

hey everyone!! welcome back to the blog! it's been way too long, and i've really missed writing on here. i hope you've had a lovely holiday season! i have, and i'm really looking forward to the new year and getting back into a rhythm with the blog <3

sooo... don't ask me why i put off writing this post, cuz i'm not sure. it was supposed to be the last episode of the spain series, but i procrastinated. but i've been wanting to write about my thoughts about travel for a while, so here we go :))

flying home from a trip, especially one as big as this (from spain), is always very emotional, whether you embrace it or not, as all change and transition is hard. it's something i've learned over time: that feeling lots of feels is not anything i'm doing wrong, it's just a natural part of travel. that's what i want to explore today: how travel is a privilege that we need to appreciate, but also how travel is very hard. contrary to the media and modern day ideals, at least in my mind, travel is not this perfect bliss. no, travel is exhausting, intense, and emotional. it's the extreme of a lot of things, and i feel it's time to talk about them all.

let's first start out with the whole ~privilege~ thing. travel is a gift. it really is. i hope i never treat it like anything else. it's not an expectation, it's not a right, and it's not a given. i can't help but think of the many people in the world who can barely afford to support their families, much less travel the world. or of teen girls my age who have seen the world, yes, but through the eyes of a refugee, an immigrant, or a military daughter.

dwell on that too much, and it will start to guilt trip you up a little, maybe so that you don't want to travel. but in my mind, it's my responsibility to use what i have been given with appreciation and intention. traveling is a blessing. it can help open my eyes, and ultimately encourage me to treat all people i meet with a higher level of reverence and respect. it is a privilege.

on trips, i tend to have all these expectations. like i'm going to be present, soak everything in, take pictures, etc etc etc. let me tell you, goals are great, but if you're not good at soaking in scenery, architecture, and culture at home, then it will be hard to be as perfect as you want. it's interesting how that connects. just because you're going on a trip doesn't mean you will suddenly have energy and motivation to change all your habits. you can improve, but don't have perfectionist expectations like i tend to have :).

i found this note in my notes app i had written about travel earlier this year:

it's easy to get used to life: so used to the current season, so used to the way you've been thinking and operating, so used to the scenery, people, and culture that you don't even think twice. travel is beautiful because it strips that all away. you are the same person, but now it's easier to think twice, to realize the assumptions and norms and things you were so used to had become second nature. travel helps you grow and expand, but it can also help you be more content and reflective. travel can help you see the place you live in with new eyes.

so yeah, i hope these thoughts kind of made sense :) i feel they are contradicting and all over the place, whoops. overall, travel is amazing. go on any trips you can, and go to learn. go with an open mind and heart. leave your old ways behind, and let the new places and people you go teach you. don't forget that most of travel is about meeting new people.

it's also important to not let the lack of travel make you jealous, unhappy, or ungrateful. while it's okay to dream of travel, you need to learn to love where you live! there are so many amazing things about each place in this world, and if you really make up your mind to explore where you are living, you will discover so much more. remember that people come to visit your town! i've personally realized how much traveling improves once you have the capacity to be content in any place. travel can be disappointing, and so can your town you live in. so the real journey is not the physical one, but the mental one. at the end of the day, wherever you are in the world, you live in your own body and mind. the more effort you put into being grateful and exploring where you are now, the more you will appreciate and enjoy your future travels. <3

i hope you have a lovely new year! i will be back with posts about goals, podcasts, and many more things very soon. thank you for being here friends! this space is a beautiful one. if you have any one in mind who needs this blog, please be kind enough to send them the link! sometimes it's surprising who really just needs a text from you, or who really loves reading someone's deep thoughts :))

sending my love!! xo, kate