Travel to feed your soul

Ever since I was a kid, my parents had instilled the importance of travel.
"While education in school is important, life experience is priceless" they would say.

With that, I was pulled out of school once every few months for a long weekend to go to some new city. My parents were professional artist, and aside from my Mom being an Art Professor at the local University, my Dad made all of his income being a full time Artist, and being an Artist was also my Moms passion that happened to pay her as well. We would go from city to city, attending art openings and festivals where they would sell their works. And I was just a kid experiencing these new places, people and festivals with wide eyes and a curious mind.
I learned young that the United States was full of diverse cultures and landscapes, which only lead to my curiosity to learn what was beyond our borders in real time, not just in books. Mind you, this was long before the internet of today. This was the 80's and early 90's where becoming pen-pals with a stranger was a thing. And chat rooms on AOL were one of the few ways to connect with people from around the World.

In high school, after my fathers early passing, I decided to become an exchange student, and spent my Junior year in Brazil. This experience changed my life. I blossomed into an adult. Where I had to learn a new language, learn how to be more independent and even worked teaching English. I traveled the country on my own at times from place to place meeting other solo travelers in hostels. Rarely were those travelers 16 years old like was, but the majority were from countries other than the United States. So even with these brief encounters, I was exposed to more people and cultures beyond Brazil.

When I returned home to the typical high school politics and drama my friends had endured over the year, "who was dating who?" And, "who was selected for homecoming court?" etc... I just couldn't relate anymore. It was if I had blossomed out of my cocoon, and was forced back to hang out with the caterpillars. I was miserable. All I could think about was leaving again.

Flash forward 13 years, I had not left the country again. Instead I followed the expected path of finishing school, then attending college, then getting married. All while I felt something was missing. I yearned to go beyond the boarders; to escape the safety net, pop the bubble I was living in. And after my divorce, when I was at my lowest emotionally and the economy forced me out of work; I decided to sell everything I owned, and head back to Brazil for a little self therapy.

That trip lasted 4 months.

And it was where I hit the reset button, and my soul felt fed again. I knew then that I may not become a World traveling vagabond forever. I had too many other goals to achieve back home. But I was not going to allow another decade go by without feeding my soul with what I love most, travel.

Since then, once every couple of years, I go somewhere. Germany, Holland, Canada, Nicaragua, Mexico etc. Sometimes its only for a week. Other times I have managed to stay for months at a time. Regardless, of where or how long, it is always a way to re-charge, and my next adventure is always something I look forward to.

Stepping out beyond my comfort zone, it's adventurous, and challenging. It allows me to connect with strangers from around the World, and it is my passion.