I originally started this blog for a solo backpacking trip throughout Europe. At that time in my life, I had decided to make radical changes in order to follow my passions, face my fears, and chase discovery of the self. These radical changes included ending a three-year relationship, quitting a corporate job, and saying goodbye to a city that still holds a dear place in my heart. While none of these changes were easy, they were desperately needed in order to discover true happiness.

As life goes on, I find that the hardest decisions tend to be the most rewarding.

For me, true happiness lies in the unfamiliar. It comes bursting through a conversation with a total stranger, or smiles shyly behind an unknown landscape. These moments of mystery elevate the soul and enhance self-reflection.

And yet, after seven months of traveling through mystery, I began aching for the comfortable and familiar. I missed having a place to call home, my own space to decompress, and the love of friends and family.

That’s the beauty about traveling. It opens your heart and mind to new ways of life; it instills awe for this beautiful planet we inhabit. Perhaps most importantly, through experiencing the foreign, we appreciate what we originally took for granted. We realize that the mystery is everywhere, and that the adventure doesn’t stop when we finally come home.

My backpacking journey is over for now, but the next chapter is just beginning. While I attempt to navigate this new experience, I hope to share excitement, wonder, and humor.

All we are is a collection of stories.

This is the ginger trek, continued.