Tomorrow.

Well, this is it: tomorrow I travel to South Africa! It will be the fourth continent I have been lucky enough to set foot on.

I have a nice 12 hour layover London there & back before making it to the southern most country in Africa. I'm actually very excited to be back in London again - and I just found out today I received my first choice room assignment in the housing I wanted for September! Woo hoo for not being a homeless expat!

Due to the hectic nature of my trip to South Africa, and with me not bringing my computer (can't risk something happening to it/too lazy to drag it with me) I don't think I'll be blogging much while I'm away. However, upon my return I plan on updating with many South Africa posts!

In case you do want to follow me on my adventures, you can follow me on Instagram and Twitter, both are @stormsatsea.

Wish me luck on my adventure in experiencing beautiful South Africa! xx

You Don't Have to Live the Life You're Expected To

With my college graduation coming up, many people around me are in that often terrifying phase of interviewing and trying to find a job. As for me, I'm preparing for South Africa and moving abroad.

Talk about going down a different path.

In recent months I've decided to embrace the untraditional rather than fight it. Why? Because traditional is boring and predictable and I'm not much of a fan of those things. They say routine is lethal, and in many cases, it very much is.

I was a senior in college in 2012. About to go into my last semester of college, preparing myself for job hunting and trying to ignore the terrifying reality of finding a job with a useless degree. I slowly came to the realization I could not accept the reality of whatever state my life would have been as a post grad at that time. Torn between wanting to be done with school but not wanting to be stuck in a dead end job for the rest of my life, I knew I had to make a change. I knew I had to change my major, my school, the city and state that I lived in.

At the time, I'm sure many thought I was crazy. I knew graduation day would bring a temporary relief, then a crippling depression is trying to create a life with a degree I hated and was not proud to have. I'm sure many people didn't agree with my choice. You graduate college in 4 years, get a job, work until you are 65. Done. That's it. It's just what you do.

Of course I was terrified, not knowing if it was the right thing to do, but I also knew I couldn't settle for where I was or the degree I would have had.

So here we are. Over 2 years later and now I'm about to graduate college...once again. This time though, I'm in a much better place with a degree I'm proud to get.

Of course being in college for 7 years..isn't exactly the traditional way of doing things. And for so long I fought that but recently have grown to accept it and more importantly embrace the untraditional.

Travel has taught me to embrace that. A week after I graduate, I'm off to South Africa. That's not exactly the standard way of doing things, either. And then London for at least a year, and then? Who knows.

What I do know is that whatever and wherever I end up, it doesn't have to be the path everyone else goes down. It doesn't have to be approved by anyone else but me. If my family doesn't approve of whatever country I'm in or whatever I happen to be doing for money, then okay. But if I am happy and fulfilled, then that is what matters.

Because from my travels, I know travel is something I can't give up. Or choose between. Or be satisfied with 2 weeks vacation a year to quench my wanderlust. Country hopping around the globe and making money from whatever source you can isn't exactly the life society experts you to lead but here is the thing: you don't have to live the life you're expected to. Some fight it, and yet some embrace it.

If I'm not happy, then what else matters? If I am not fulfilled, what else matters? If I'm not passionately excited about life, what else matters?

I have no idea what is coming after London. No clue where I'll be in the world, where home base will be, where I'll earn money. That doesn't scare me though. Instead of letting it scare me, I let it inspire me. After London I have a freedom many do not get to have: the choice to do whatever I want wherever it is around the world that I want to do it. To have that control...to take that leap and choose to have adventures across the globe if I so choose to.

You don't have to live the life you're expected to. Because life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all. As for me? I'm checking off the 'daring adventure' box.

My First Solo Travel Experience

 Boston Logan airport, ready to fly solo. 

 When I went to London a 2 months ago (I can't believe it's been a 2 months already!) it was my very first trip flying solo. In the past, I've always traveled with friends or a group, but this time I was going it alone. Also, I didn't have much planned where as in my pervious travels it seemed like every minute was planned for. So when I left for my trip knowing this time would be completely different from the past, I was pretty scared, not going to lie.

I was afraid of getting around and finding my way through London. I have a horrible sense of direction and always get lost. I was afraid of navigating the tube. I was afraid of having to get from Heathrow into London. I was afraid of staying in a hostel with strangers and afraid of being bored or lonely. I was pretty much terrified of all of it, and yet still got on the plane. And through my visit I realized something: every single thing I was afraid of? I conquered it. Everything I had feared before going seems so silly now. While there were some bumps along the way, I still came back to the U.S. in one piece and so proud of myself that I had taken on my first trip abroad completely alone.

I've read countless articles about why women should travel solo, and that every woman should do it at least once in there lives. I definitely agree with this, and while it was difficult at times being abroad alone, I am so glad I did it because I needed to have that experience. I can't imagine moving in September without having gone on this trip. If I hadn't gone, my adjustment into the UK would have been a lot more difficult. I needed to figure out the tube and how it works, I needed to get lost (countless of times) and figure out how to not be lost,  and I needed to be able to plan out and do what I wanted by myself. I needed this experience to become more independent; something I struggled with here in America.

My solo experience wasn't all amazing but it wasn't all horrible either. The first few days were hard. It was a big adjustment for me to wake up and decide what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go without consulting a friend or group. London is such a huge city, and I had to be okay with exploring an area and getting completely lost. It's just inevitable when you don't know a place that well. Waking up each day throwing myself into that kind of independence and the slight panic of constantly being lost...it threw me.

It was a hard few days at first. Not being used to being alone in a huge city, and I just kind of threw myself into that situation and there was definitely an adjustment period.

I really wanted to love traveling alone, I did. But I didn't. And that's not to say I can't, or won't ever love it. Maybe I just need more time with it...once I am in London and day to day being alone I will become more accustomed to it and my outlook will change.

For now, though, I think I'd like to travel with a friend or a small group. I realize I need that human interaction and someone to experience things with when I travel. This didn't come as a huge surprise to me as I knew this before I left, but being in London alone tested that theory for me and I came out the other side having learned that okay, this is more along the lines of what I personally enjoy when I travel.

All in all though, I'm glad I did it. Hearing over and over again how women should travel alone, at least once in their life, I'm glad I finally did it. It was scary, but it prepared me more for the move in September. Now the move is just a little less scary and intimidating for me.

So, for now I don't think I'll be jetting around the world solo as of yet. But maybe in the future, who knows?

Have you ever traveled solo? What was your experience with it?