I was 20 years old when I first flew to Europe. I had just flown by myself for the first time from Tampa to Miami, and then met up with my classmates as we boarded our flight to Paris, France. It was a whole new adventure for me, who had previously never gone further outside the country than Mexico and the Bahamas, and I am completely serious when I say that study abroad changed my life.
That was the summer of 2014, and I learned so much about myself. I could embrace challenges and do scary things! But it also taught me to love travel, so I made it a priority. After graduating, starting my job (which also came with its own travel perks), and moving in with my boyfriend, it stayed on the radar. I knew there were more adventures to be had.
In December 2016, Tyler (then my fiance) and I went to Dublin, Ireland. I used a referral bonus from work to fund our flights, and we stayed in a cheap hotel on the “wrong side” of the River Liffey. We spent a week in the city, other than our Paddywagon bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher, meeting with Tyler’s family and discovering lots to love about Ireland. It was hard to leave on Christmas Eve, but I already had a few trips lined up – my bachelorette cruise to Mexico and then our honeymoon in the Mediterranean. I loved knowing I had more travel to look forward to.
And from there, I never stopped. Whether it was with Tyler or family or friends or even through work, I kept making plans to find adventure out there, whatever it might look like.
A global pandemic in 2020 certainly disrupted our plans – I am certain we will never get such a great deal on flights to Shanghai again – but we pivoted. We took the opportunity to travel domestically, see some more of what the USA has to offer. Add to that a 2021 baby, and our travel style changed again. We couldn’t be as nimble as we once were, and we had to prioritize nicer accommodations, but we kept going. We learned how to travel with him. That kid is now two, and he’s been to more countries than I had at 22 – I love that.
Which brings me here: 29, with my 30th birthday in just a few days, a second kid coming in just a few months. I know that travel will change again for me. But as I prepare to spend some time at an all-inclusive in Cabo San Lucas later this month, and then take a major family trip to Japan early next year, I am still so excited to learn and discover more about this world. When you find something you love to do, you keep doing it. Sometimes it isn’t easy, but it’s always worth it.
I am incredibly grateful for this last decade of adventures, but as I prepare for my 30s, I am confident that there are many, many more to be had.
For those interested, my travel abroad timeline looks like the below:
- May 2014: England, France
- December 2016: Ireland
- May 2017: Mexico
- August 2017: Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro
- October 2017: Canada
- March 2018: Iceland
- May 2018: England, France, Iceland
- August 2018: Cuba
- October 2018: Canada
- December 2018: Belgium, France, Ireland, Netherlands
- March 2019: Denmark, England, Germany
- May 2019: Brazil
- October 2019: England, Ireland
- December 2019: England, Scotland
- March 2022: England, Ireland
- May 2022: Spain
- July 2022: Canada
- November 2022: New Zealand
- March 2023: Estonia, Finland, Sweden