Queenstown, New Zealand
I never thought the day would come where I'd find myself - dare I say - bored of travelling. It's been my biggest passion in life for 3 years now, and I don't think I'll ever want to stop visiting new places. But something's changed in me this year, something I briefly touched on a few months back. My desire to travel used to be so strong, it felt like a burning flame would ignite inside of me. I was a woman possessed, someone so consumed with itineraries and booking flights, that nothing else in life gave me the same buzz. Travel became 'my thing', and even to this day I have people messaging me asking for advice on their upcoming trips. I feel like it's the one thing I'm really knowledgeable about, and I love helping people who are nervous and need their questions answering. But after years of thinking travel was the only thing that could make me happy, I've done a complete 360. My life has changed, and I've realised I don't need it as a clutch anymore.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand
You see, life is uncertain when you graduate uni. It's that horrible stage where you don't know what path your career will take, you have no money, and you basically feel like a lost child in an adult's body. It's like you're in limbo - neither a careless teenager nor a fully fledged responsible adult. Looking back, I wouldn't say that stage of my life was a particularly happy one. You're kind of just plodding along, wondering if things will fall into place or not. I guess it was that feeling of not being in control that urged me to travel in the first place. It was something I could take by the balls - I could make it happen and finally leave that feeling of uncertainty behind. I think that's why a lot of people decide to travel. They don't really know what direction their life is taking, so the easiest thing is to run away - to find joy elsewhere. 'Running away' comes with a lot of negative connotations, but in this instance I don't think it's a bad thing. If you're confused and need time to reflect on your future, you might as well do it from a hammock right? There's no point wallowing in your own self pity whilst working a dead end job. Take a year out, have fun and give yourself time to reflect on what you really want.
Waitomo, New Zealand
It was only a few months ago that I realised I'd been using travel to 'run away' too. My mum noticed way before I did, but she was right. Years later my path was still uncertain, which is why I was always so desperate to book a new trip. It provided the perfect distraction, and was the one thing in life that brought me happiness. But as I sit here on this grey Sunday afternoon - having moved to Manchester, made a great group of friends and found a job that I love - I don't feel the need to run away anymore. That burning desire to constantly leave the country has gone. Don't get me wrong, my bucket list is still as long as my arm, but that sense of urgency has disappeared. I've finally found joy in the 9-5, in going out for food with friends, and getting a bargain in Primark. I enjoy my routine of going to the gym after work, doing a healthy food shop, and crashing in front of the TV watching a new series on Netflix. I feel settled knowing I'm on the path I was always meant to be on, and that years of uncertainty have been replaced with a sense of stability.
Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand
Despite being 'bored' of travelling, it was - and will always be - the best thing I've ever done. I have a quote on my phone screensaver that says "Do not regret or deny your journey. It all had to be what it was in order for you to find your path" - a quote that I would probably get tattooed on me if I liked tattoos. But while people my age are still heading off on their Working Holiday Visa's to Australia (I've had 3 friends go in the last month), I don't envy them anymore. It's their time for uncertainty, for excitement and to figure out what they want from life. But it's not mine. For once, I welcome stability and my own country with open arms - a life that I don't want to run from anymore.
x
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