Be Strong.

It takes a lot to be strong. Whether it's strong physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc. Sometimes being strong sucks...but you have to be that way in order to continue forward in life. This trip and all my other traveling experiences have taught me to be strong. They also taught me that I'm stronger than I think I am.

This trip forced me to be stronger. At times it seemed like I was alone on the journey since none of my closest friends or family members were around, so I had to dig up strength and trudge on. Being strong doesn't mean that you're not allowed to break down. Sometimes you need that emotional release. And guess what--that is totally okay. Sometimes it may feel like you're being fake when you put on a smile and say everything is a-okay when in reality you just want to cry...but I think that is completely normal. Our "weakest" times are often what make us stronger.

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I wrote the above paragraphs back in the day and saved it as a draft. A couple months later, I find myself in my home country, but unfortunately going through a very similar experience due to 2 separate events that happened this week. Just yesterday, I wrote a note to a colleague expressing my appreciation for her support. Part of what I wrote was this: Moments like today make one put things into perspective & definitely make one realize that now is the time to cherish the people around them & live life to the fullest.

I heard this song as I was driving home from work yesterday, and I thought it was very timely and topical...

Here's to having faith--not fear.
Here's to hoping that everything will be alright.
Here's to my support network.
And here's to Bob...I may not have known you for too long, but thank you for being my mentor. RIP.


Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR

Missing It, Wanderlusting, and Can't Sit Still

Well, I've been back from my Pacific Ocean trip for a couple months now. And yes, I miss it. I still have the urge to travel, to be somewhere else, and to not settle down for too long. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being able to see my family and friends at home, but there's just something about the traveling life that I love--being forced to get out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and try new things. Yes, this can all be done from my home country/state/city, but for whatever reason, there's more excitement to it all when I'm abroad. I'm sure at least some people are tired of hearing me talk about my trip...but it's become a part of who I am. I promise I've trimmed down my stories...especially when I can tell that people are losing interest (yes, I can tell and yes, it's totally okay haha). If you want to hear them, just ask. When people ask me things like "how was your trip?" or "what was your favorite part of the trip?" I feel like those are very big questions...ones that could take me hours to answer (if you want the whole answer) or ones that would have multiple responses.

I have my next worldly adventure in my sights...but it won't be happening for another year and a half (which is okay because I almost cleaned out my bank accounts--totally worth it though!--so I need some time to save up again haha).

Thought I'd take a little while to come up with a list of (some) stuff that I miss:
1. The girls I tutored
2. My family
3. Filipino food
4. Wearing flip flops every day, everywhere
5. Making new friends from all over the world
6. Hiking
7. Beaches--Matarangi sand
8. Exploring the unknown
9. Spontaneity
10. Carefree and stressfree...well, kind of
11. Clean air
12. Mountains
13. Adventure
14. Teaching and sharing
15. Being the only American
16. Feeling tall
17. Noticing cultural differences
18. Adapting
19. Walking/public transportation
20. Visiting family/friends
21. Tours
22. Getting tan
23. Inexpensive (but really good) massages
24. Packing up my backpack and living out of it for a couple days or a week (or more) at a time

...yep, I think I'm ready for another trip! :P


Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR