It is hard to believe that in 30 days, everything I know and have come to love will change. In 30 days, I will no longer live in the small mountain town I call home. In 30 days I will no longer wake up to the sound of my dog panting in my ear, or pacing the hallway outside my bedroom. In 30 days I will no longer be able to walk down my street and see the Cascade Mountains that have become like a second home to me. In 30 days I will board a plane to Europe. In 30 days my life as I know it will no longer be the same. But that is ok. That is what I wanted after all. Traveling the world one step at a time. In 30 days I take my first steps.
All my life I have grown up hearing that I must follow the predetermined path in order to be successful in life. I have to go straight from high school to college, to get a degree, to work until I retire from a successful job. So a year ago, when I decided to break this cycle and take a gap year, I was met with confusion and fear from others. Fear that my Gap Year in Europe would somehow take away any chance of success I may have in my life yet to come. But how is success measured. While I believe that in today’s world money is a necessity, the experiences and culture we experience throughout our years give a deeper meaning of life and success.
Slowly, the fear expressed by others has turned to excitement, and while some may still find it hard to imagine living from a single backpack for a year, I can’t wait for what lies ahead. These final 30 days, as I make my last minute preparations and pack my life into a single bag, I know that in this moment, this is what I am supposed to be doing. This is how my life should be. While I know that my life will not be the same when I return, I know that the experiences I have and the people I will make will outlast the feelings of change I will have upon my return.
