Traveling is my favorite thing to do. The list of places I want to see grows weekly as I read about the far off destinations others have traveled to. Earlier this year I went through a transition period when I left my job working for a software company in the hopes of discovering what I “want to do.” For awhile, I was seriously considering doing something that would allow me to travel full-time and get paid. Whether that meant working for an airline or teaching English abroad, I explored a number of different programs and options.

But after careful consideration and evaluation, I was able to determine the things that mattered most to me. I love being home almost as much as I love traveling. Waking up in my own bed, making a cup of warm coffee, settling in on my couch to write a blog post–these are things that make me so happy. I like to set up my room exactly the way I want  with the artwork I bought from London, Paris and the South of France hanging on my walls. Making my space my own, filled with trinkets and memories of the past.

And so I decided that traveling full-time wasn’t actually that appealing to me. Sure, it is incredible to be on the move, hopping from place to place. As you are reading this, I am chasing the northern lights around Iceland and trying to see as much as I possibly can. But coming home is a joy all in itself. Traveling helps to open your eyes and see the rest of the world, but I’ve found it also helps you appreciate your own little world at home filled with familiar comforts, friends, and family.

Me and my little sister!

This is why I have chosen a career that gives me the best of both worlds. Most of the year I will be settled in a stable job and in my home. But during summers and vacations–that will be my time to travel and explore. They say that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. In order to appreciate the small things about your hometown, your cozy apartment, even the people around you, you have to take time away to actually miss it. I truly admire what professional travel bloggers do. They travel year-round to share their experience and knowledge with others. But I have come to realize that life is not for me full-time. 

I am so grateful for the journeys I have been lucky enough to have already experienced, and the many future ones I plan to go on. But for now, I am excited to return home and let the experience and memories of this most recent European trip sink in for awhile.

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