#findyourheart

I was recently avidly doing online research into traveling, travel blogging, and ways to travel and live inexpensively, and I came across a TedX talk by Scott Dinsmore called “How to Find and Do Work That You Love.” Scott runs his own business called “Live Your Legend,” about following your passion and your heart and learning how to work based on how you want to live your life, not to live your life based on your work. He pointed out three aspects of a person painted on a compass that anyone looking to change their lives for the better should evaluate, to really understand what it is they want; what inspires them. These three things are 1) Unique strengths 2) Values and 3) Experiences. While he spoke, I started to get those butterflies I mentioned in my previous post; those harbingers of change and possibility. Some may call it a purely “Millenial” outlook on life, to feel like I can really do anything I set my heart to, but to me, it comes from my unique strengths, values, and my past experiences, that give me the calm confidence and knowledge that there is a world out there waiting for me; that my life is not already set in stone; that a 9-5 and quiet house in the suburbs, don’t have to be my reality if I so choose. 

Scott spoke to this, and it resonated with me more than I can say. I then proceeded to spend the next two hours intermittently watching “The Bachelor” finale (because, well, it was important), and researching likeminded individuals who have found success in the full-time travel and travel blogging world. And as I listened to the Ted Talk, and did the research, my heart became enlivened and whole with possibility as I evaluated my strengths, values, and experiences. Because when I put it all together, I felt like my future just made sense, without even knowing it yet. I felt like I had what it takes, and that, excuse the cheesy expression, “the world is my oyster.” And in all of that, of course, I recognized my privilege and luck to be able to feel this way, and to have had experiences that have drawn me towards this. This is what went through my mind;

1) Strengths; I am strong, and I relate well to people. People open up to me and tell me their deepest feelings, and I can make them feel comfortable and loved. Empathy. These qualities made me feel like if I choose to travel, stay put, or anything in between, kindness and relating to people could carry me through. I then thought about my skills; amateur writing, taking pictures, childcare, cooking, and making any place I move to home. Leadership also takes a big place in my heart; I enjoy mentoring, speaking, and helping other people; heck, that’s what I have chosen as a career in Human Services! I want to make positive social change, and experience the world while doing it. 

2) Values; Like I mentioned above, I want to help people. Kindness and empathy are held dear to my heart, and I always wish to live by following my heart, and happiness. I value genuine connection. 

3) Experiences; The first thing I thought of was travel, of course. Whether studying abroad, learning Chinese and performing in a traditional Chinese poem reading competition, staying at a Buddhist Monastery for a week, Au Pairing in a village outside of Paris, trekking through the Sacred Valley in Peru, teaching developmentally disabled adults in Costa Rica and learning about environmental sustainability, waking up to see the sunrise over the Southern Alps in New Zealand and so many more...all of these travel experiences have defined who I am and what makes me the most confident and happy. Actually, I don’t feel like “travel” covers it, perhaps, “ways of living.” Because to me, “travel” means short term vacations, but what I enjoy the most is cultural exchange and experience. I have also had experience as a mentor, childcare provider, advocate for social justice, student in Human Services, sister, girlfriend, and friend. All of these define me. 

All of this self exploration wasn’t to tell myself “Hey Laura, you’re pretty cool.” No. This was to connect the dots of my life, who I am, and how I can translate it into a way of living. And something clicked. I can write, take pictures, connect with people, lead, help, and travel...all at the same time as hopefully (in my dreams) making a living of some sort. Whether that means travel blogging to the point of making money, running some sort of online business, writing books or travel guides, freelancing for a company or a wonderful job that sends me around the world (that would be a miracle), or even just making my way around the globe with work exchanges, racking up different life paths and experiences along the way like some of the full-time travelers I’ve seen. Or a mix of it all! And even if my future doesn’t look like this, it can be what I choose based upon who I am. Maybe I find that getting a Master’s degree, and working in a nonprofit, or in policy as a Social Worker is my ultimate dream. And maybe, I can find a niche that allows me to do it all. But no matter what I end up doing, I know that I hopefully have decades to try everything; all the while making sure I can support myself, and live a full life. 

So I will keep doing research; satisfying my Wanderlust nature of adventure for now, practicing writing and finding my voice, figuring out what is next, and dreaming how my life can be filled with love and happiness and peace. 

And no, I am not talking about the shoe; although I did just buy a new pair!!

No, I am talking about emotions, and how every minute I think of something new to worry about, or be super stoked about! 

So it has been almost a month since my last post, and I thought I could give a short update on where I’m at and what this process is like! I am on Spring Break, steeling myself for the crazy that will be the end of my final semester of college, and I have been doing a lot of reflecting as it feels time has stopped and I have a small chance to breathe. Things are slowly moving towards this amazing journey to the small island of Kwajalein in the middle of the warm and turquoise Pacific. Slowly but surely, processes are taking place and I am starting to become more and more excited to start a new job and a new life :) While I am so ecstatic to *hopefully* (and I still say hopefully because not everything is set in stone and I can’t let myself truly believe this is real life until it is!), make my way out there,I am also holding a bit of doubt and worry! I worry about finishing this process and getting a fly-out date and really knowing for sure this is happening. I worry about my love, Dan, finding a job out there too so that maybe we won’t have to be apart for a very long time. I worry about the small things, like what on Earth do I pack?!

But, you would have to be absolutely crazy to not even have the tiniest shred of anxiety over making this HUGE step in life. So overall, I am reassuring myself that it will all be okay, and I will do what I always do; enjoy the unknown and take one step at a time (in the clear blue water and soft white sand preferably! :) ) 

If I am being totally, unapologetically honest...I am in such “flip-flop” mode right now! One minute I am day dreaming about my new life, and the other, I am so scared and frozen solid with the enormity of this beautiful yet life-changing decision I have made. But I KNOW that fear...that type of fear is what invigorates me. Not the kind of fear that comes from the dark, or any scary movie (even scary movie trailers to be honest), but the kind of fear that instigates this small flutter in the base of your heart. The flutter like those that come before getting on stage, seeing someone you like for the first time, or taking that huge step that you know you need to take. That fear is the stimulating mix of uncertainty and anticipation; the mix where you don’t know if you’re feeling one emotion, the other, or both; but all you know is you just have to dive in.

I’m diving in :) That energizing and purely challenging fear is what makes me choose to travel, to get outside my comfort zone, to see new things, meet new people, and create new ways of life along the journey. I don’t believe we are meant to live one life. I believe we live many in our one lifetime, if we are lucky. Some people call them chapters, some people call them steps; I call them ‘ways of living.’ Without living in absolutely different places, with different goals, schedules, habits, and people, we never grow.