Travel has this funny way of making you feel like you’re supposed to always be doing something remarkable. New city, new food, new photo, new whatever. Sometimes that’s not the point of it all though, or even the best part. 

What I’m realizing is that travel gives you this long stretch of uninterrupted time with yourself. No routines to hide inside (and I love a routine) and no autopilot. Just you, your choices, and whatever country you’ve dropped yourself into. It’s weirdly intimate, freeing, and sometimes uncomfortable. 

This trip through Scotland has me thinking about the parts of myself that only show up when I’m far from anything familiar. Like the me who feels brave for walking into a cafe alone(is it terrifying or is it anxiety haha), or the me who gets snippy over tiny things, and the me who gets annoyed by slow walkers and remembers there’s literally no finish line. 

Then there are the softer sides of myself that I knew were there but come out even stronger than before. The side that feels a little more settled in her skin when she figures something out on her own and the one that realizes independence doesn’t mean doing everything alone. Slowly learning how to relax when someone she loves is with her, even if she insists on pressing that imaginary brake pedal like a maniac(a habit I fear I may never lose even when he drives perfectly fine haha).

Mostly, between the moments of wow look at this view and why am I like this, I’m starting to notice that I’m growing. Not in a dramatic, life changing way, but in a slow, everyday kinda way. Like figuring out how to calm myself down when I’m overwhelmed or allowing myself to be taken care of and lead in the moments of uncertainty.

Castles are cool, cliffs are dramatic, and I will lose my mind every time I see a highland cow on a hill. But the self realizations and discoveries deserve a post just as much as the adventures because that’s truly what it’s all about for me. Connecting with myself and the universe is a wonderful thing and I’m grateful to be in a position that I can do so.

So yeah, I’ve been exploring all these incredible places, but the in between stuff is becoming my favorite part. The tiny shifts, the little wins, and the version of me that’s slowly figuring herself out while eating questionable sandwiches in alleyways.

It’s not always remarkable, but it’s real. There is still so much more for me to see which means even more to learn (about myself and the universe) and I really can’t wait for every minute, easy or hard. I’m grateful for a space to express each and every bit. 

The universe loves us❤️