12 Months In and 1-Year Blogiversary!

One year ago I started this blog. 365 days since that first afternoon in Mexico. I was uncomfortable and awkward, 3,000 miles from home and everything I knew, trying to fill each hour with something. ANYTHING. So I wrote my first blog post and released a bit of my fears and dreams into the universe. My goal for the day was to get over my intimidation and venture out of my hostel for dinner. One simple step.

And a new step the next day. And another one the day after that. Each day went a little better. The loneliness lessened, the goals became bigger, and the road slowly became my home.

I remember leaving California, thinking, “I don’t know how this trip will change me. But I know that it will and I know that it is what I need.” 365 days later and this has been the best year of my life thus far.

I have done things this year that I planned from the very beginning and knew would challenge me – traveling alone, learning Spanish in Guatemala, and trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I have done things this year that were never on my radar during my planning stage – sailing from Panama to Colombia, learning to scuba dive, and completing a 10-day meditation retreat in Chiang Mai. There have been so many adventures and each one has shaped my life in a different way.

This blog has been one of the most significant adventures in itself. Here, I put it out there. I document my journey through words, pictures, and videos. I connect with family and friends and fellow humans who I do not even know. This is my little corner in which I play and dream and create and pursue my love for writing. It has been a joy, a blessing, a welcome responsibility, and a pain in my neck. My sounding board and my art.

To those reading this, thank you for following me and being a part of it all. I have appreciated your support and encouragement. Sharing my travels has been thrilling and fun. It has pushed me to grow as a writer, photographer, traveler, and individual. You consistently remind me that I am never alone, no matter where I am.

Here is to another year of life and blogging! May it be filled with just as many trials, victories, smiles, tears, and blog posts.

Much love and light,

Laura-Elizabet