The Girl Who Packed her Bag
Why I decided to pack my bag, and take a solo trip to Europe.
Solo Trip to Europe
After leaving my job, I decided I needed to hit the refresh button. I was unsure how I could achieve this while remaining in the same environment, so I decided to take a journey abroad.
During college, I always thought about studying aboard, however, with COVID, things never came together. I knew for the rest of my life, this would be a point of contention and regret if I left it the way it was.
So, I decided to pack my backpack and take a chance. It was about 11:30 pm when Alex (my boyfriend) pushed me to finally hit “confirm payment” on my ticket to Dublin, Ireland. I knew once I purchased that ticket, there was no going back and this trip was happening.
I had so many self-doubts.
“Can I do this on my own?”
To get my confidence back, I needed to prove to myself that I CAN DO THIS! I needed to prove to myself that I am, intelligent, independent, and capable of all things.
“Is this the best way to use my money?”
In terms of money, I knew I had enough to take this trip, without putting “Future Claire” in a financial bind. I also recognized that this money would go towards so much more than “just a trip.” It was an investment in myself, my confidence, my skills, and my intellectual well-being.
If you are considering a trip of any kind, ask yourself “WHY am I doing this?” This will help you know “Is this trip the right choice?” “Where should I invest my resources while on this trip?” and “What am I looking to gain from this experience.?”
“Will I regret going? Or regret not going, more?”
There was some emotional turmoil while working through the decision process. I knew deep down, that I ultimately had no choice BUT TO take this trip! I needed to do it for myself before my life became more complicated, and while I had the time. I needed to do this because like a 93-year-old lady on a yacht outside on the coast of Boston once told me, “Claire, you are going to be an awful mother if you do not travel and explore this curiosity. Your children deserve to capture all of your wonder and curiosity, and you will be too busy staring out windows and resenting your children for being the reason you don’t travel.”
“Confirm Payment”
Hitting the confirmation button felt much like signing a car loan for the first time. You have to hold your breath, close your eyes, and just SEND IT. (Obviously, after you evaluate and make a smart, well-thought-out decision.)
And I am so happy that I did it. I was able to be in a new place each day, witness the good in humanity, and rediscover my confidence. I can tell more individual stories of what happened while on my trip. But for now, these are my biggest takeaways, and why I am eternally grateful that I went on this adventure.
I resolved the underlying guilt of not going abroad.
As my life progresses, I will always have a bucket of special memories and a sense of pride in myself.
Coming back into my new day-to-day life, I had become the leveled-up version of myself.
This trip became a bold, new fun fact, in the sense that it helped me feel like more of an interesting person.
A solo backpacking trip to Europe, pushed me out of my comfort zone and showed me that I can do hard things.
This trip was also the final push I needed to start this blog. The idea has floated around my mind for 3 years now, and I decided that now is the time. So, here we are!