THE WORLD IS BIGGER THAN MY STREET

I wake up some days and the four walls of my room just feel smaller. Same old street, same supermarket, same nodding-hello-to-the-neighbor routine. It gets old, you know? I start feeling like I'm stuck in a rerun of a show I don't even like that much. I just wanna hit pause, walk out the door, and not come back for a while.

I wasn’t made to just sit still. It’s like I’ve got ants in my pants – or maybe more like, itchy feet.

There's this little voice in my head that keeps nagging me, telling me to “Go. See. Do.” It wants me to breathe in different air, check out how folks live way over yonder, and try food that’ll make my taste buds go “huh?” but make my soul happy. Life's too short to spend it all in one place, doing the same thing over and over, seeing the world through a tiny keyhole.

Sometimes, I daydream about hopping on some beat-up local bus in a town I can't even pronounce. Dust on my sneakers, a backpack on my knees, no hard plans. Just going with the flow and soaking it all in. I want to hit up spots where people butcher my name when they try to say it, where I can’t read the street signs but somehow I still find my way around. I want to get totally lost and not freak out about it. Because getting lost means I'm not trapped; it means I'm figuring stuff out; hell, it means I'm alive, really truly alive.

For some of us, traveling isn't just a fun thing to do on vacation; it's good for the soul.

It’s a reminder that the world is flipping huge and my worries? Tiny. The universe has way more to offer than what’s just outside my front door. I can always wipe the slate clean, learn something brand new, and head back home with a heart that feels like it’s about to burst.

So, to you that's reading this, if you’ve been kicking around the idea of moving, going somewhere new, exploring - this is your cue. Start small. It does not have to be a grand scheme to trek across Europe. Maybe it’s just a day trip to that little town over the river. Maybe you go to the next town. But go. Even if you're a little scared. Especially if you're shaking in your boots.

The world’s waiting, and so is that version of you that only comes out when you’re truly free. You know, the one who doesn't worry if her hair is perfect, and who can eat a taco like she means it.