This trip is changing my life.

It’s a change that I can very much feel every single day. The sun seems brighter, the world seems better, and there’s opportunity everywhere.

The other day I met a guy from Israel who had been travelling for the better part of the past year.

As we talked about his travels in South America the Hostel receptionist walked in and told us she “lives vicariously through” all the residents that come and go here.

On the wall there was a massive map with handfulls of pins everywhere. There were some in Orlando. Some in Baltimore. Some in Massachusetts. But there were also some from China, and France, and Ireland. What are those places like? I wonder.

We met a friend from the UK who’s slowly making his way out to San Diego. He started in Florida. He told us he didn’t have any plans set in stone–he was making it up as he went.

Absolute bollucks.

Even my friend Sydney has changed significantly since she got here. And I mean it. There’s less deliberation. There’s less stress. We just go out and do things. No idea is a bad idea. We saw improv for the first time and found out we were an hour late. We didn’t care.

It changes your life.

At first its scary, then its exciting, then its effortless. And I mean effortless in the sense that we’re not even thinking about being scared about talking to people. We just do it.

I’ve all of a sudden become a social butterfly. I like to strike up conversations with everyone. I like to hear where they’ve been and what their plans are. I like to hear about what the best dish is back home.

It’s a funny thing to travel.

There’s this contentness that’s felt when you’re just sitting among new people talking about things you’ve never thought of before. I found out that the biggest city in Israel looks just like Miami, and that the beach there has water like the Carribbean.

I’ve learned how to deal with stress differently. Some of the hostels I’ve stayed at didn’t have A/C. What can you do?

Yesterday there was an Aston Martin pulled up in front of our Hostel. For the first time in my life I looked at it and didn’t want it. I like where I am now. Nothing makes me feel richer than meeting new people and seeing new things.

That’s my generation for you.

I’ve learned that working and travelling properly isn’t easy. In fact, it’s almost impossible. But that’s why I’ve given myself extra time to stay in these places. When you’re a digital nomad, it’s best to really marinate in a place for longer periods of time before moving on to another one.

I’ve also learned that road trips aren’t that bad, and that seeing friends on the road is like finding water in the middle of the desert.

The world isn’t as big as we think. There’s more than likely someone we know in the place where we’re headed.

The last thing I’ve learned is that being alone is okay. Being quiet is okay. And that skipping a night out to take care of yourself and your health is okay.

There’s always something happening. There’s always something to see. And we don’t need to be part of it all.

Thanks for reading.

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