Oh dear, goodness gracious! I have never considered myself more lucky, or God’s timing so right as to allow me to leave Italy before the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis absolutely rocked this small country to the core.
So, maybe you’ve heard of something like this, but you don’t really know anything about it or what it involves. If you’re like me, maybe you’ve got a gap year or an itch to travel, a desire to find yourself, but there’s something holding you back.
So, I am a newfound college grad! Yay! I was able to earn my Bachelor’s degree from Miami University (OH) in 3.5 years. It was quite anticipated and I was more than ready to release myself from the grips of an institution. I truly love learning- from people, experiences, places, podcasts, etc.- but for me, there was something driving me crazy being tethered to such a small town in the middle of cornfields (quite literally).
I was never really the type to want to leisurely read whenever given any additional free time. It wasn’t until I had a book sitting on my bookcase with a cover that was completely daunting me and free time that I wanted to spend productively, rather than taking in blue light from a screen (though I often read books from a kindle app), that I turned to reading for fun. And quite honestly, I feel like my world has expanded vastly since diving into this adventure.
So here’s the thing. I have this dream- to travel the world. A road trip across the US in a van would completely suit my fancy. There is simply so much to see and to be experienced and so little time (especially with so much of it either melting or going under water). But rather than wasting time and wishing to be in a situation other than where I am now, I’ve decided to enjoy the journey.
Here are a few pictures of what you might expect if you adventure off the beaten path as we did!
2018 was a year of pursuing “fearlessness”. This word that I focused on through the course of the past 12 months, led me to some incredible opportunities. Contrary to its common definition, fearlessness to me, was not abandoning all consciousness of danger and safety, and stepping into full-fledged danger. Rather, it was fighting complacency that fear would keep me at to avoid facing pain and inadequacy in attempting to pursue certain goals and engaging with strangers.
I have had the absolute pleasure to be at Deer Run for the past two weeks now. I know I've been a bit MIA, I'm sorry, but here's an update. These people- wow, I just love them all so much. This welcoming, genuine, and compassionate community has quickly become the best family and support I could ever have received.
I commute to China for work every morning, and I absolutely LOVE it! Not to mention that it doesn’t matter where I am physically located (I’ve traveled to Italy and other places in the US), all I have to do is have internet and my computer (and a few props) and I’m able to tap into this incredible opportunity.