2018 will be remembered as one of the most amazing years of my life. It’s been a year of simple and absolute badassery – and this doesn’t have to do only with traveling, although it did play its part, naturally. Recognition, focus, and conclusion where the main themes of these past 12 months.
(Me at the island of Sifnos, Greece, daydreaming about skipping the airplane rides back to the US.)
This past year I enabled myself to check some experiences off my bucket list, like wandering at the Glacier National park in Montana, witnessing the greatness of the Treasury in Jordan, and more. I beat once again my fears as a solo traveler, this time on a different level, and it felt reassuring. I applied and got accepted to three graduate programs, and chose the one best fitting my path. My career is slowly steering where I want it to go, and it feels great to not have to break the bank each time I want to travel! New friends, good friends, sweet people to laugh and share life with. And last but not least, 2018 is the year that I was finally able to reap what I’ve been sowing for years: I am done done DONE with the beloved immigration services – thanks for all the fish USCIS, it’s been real.
(Renting a car and driving across the country of Jordan was the most intense thing I did this year, but I promise you it’s nothing like driving in Greece. Here I celebrate my choices with a mud bath in the Dead Sea.)
2018’s greatest gift was this moment of clarity where I realized what freedom and independence truly taste like; they cannot be found on a piece of paper, a destination, or someone’s arms. Freedom and true independence exist when one can make decisions consulting only their own heart. In my world, this equals to unconditional self love.
There’s still so much more to come, and so much more to see. My wish to you is to have an amazing 2019, filled with experiences and people you really care about.
(My top liked pictures on Instagram for 2018 taken from all over the world, and I still can’t get over how cute my cat is.)