When Epic Becomes Your New Normal
Two weekends ago, I was walking the city walls of Dubrovnik. Last Friday, I was talking to my mom, and she asked what I was doing for the weekend, if I was traveling anywhere.
“No,” I replied, “staying in Split for the weekend. We’re going whitewater rafting tomorrow; that’s about it.”
“Um…I think that’s enough for a weekend,” Mom said.
I laughed, realizing how ridiculous I sounded. In a few months, something that would have been a banner event before has become almost run of the mill. What was once epic is now normal.
That’s not to say I do something amazing every single day. Yesterday I spent the whole day in yoga pants and a t-shirt, sitting on the couch doing work — pretty much the same thing I’d be doing at home but on a far less comfortable sofa to be honest.
But I do have the opportunity to do something amazing each day. Right now I have friends on various island trips that I could have joined. And I may still be in my pajamas at the moment, but this evening I’ll be headed out to sea on a sunset sail.
Given the new state of my life, I think there are three things I should remember to do:
1. Be appreciative.
Sometimes it feels like gratitude is the stick we beat ourselves with in 2017; all of our problems are #firstworldproblems after all. I’m not a fan — your problems are your problems — but there is something to be said for taking a moment to acknowledge things that are good. And while it’s easy to get caught up in obnoxious minutiae (group drama, tiny coffee, why is my apartment so hot, how have I gone through FIVE PHONES in four months), this year with We Roam is a spectacular opportunity.
2. Take advantage.
I’m about to embark on a couple ambitious work projects, and I’m by nature a rather slow-paced, indoors sort of person. When I was a kid, I used to hide in the hall closet with a book and a flashlight rather than play outside with my siblings. I haven’t changed all that much. So it’s easy for me to stay inside my apartment with my Kindle, especially if I’m not super in love with a place. I’ve started adding specific city exploration items to my to do list, and I need to continue pushing myself to try new experiences and keep exploring.
3. Strive for epic at home.
I still have quite a few months on the road, but the prospect of going home is always vaguely looming. All of my curl-up-with-a-book, focus-on-the-annoying-bits tendencies are magnified 100x when I’m in a familiar environment. Yet I live in New York, one of the most exciting cities in the world. I already have a list going of the NYC experiences I never got around to in my four years there. When I do finally wander back, I want to take advantage of the fantastic things at home, too.
P.S. No whitewater rafting photos at the moment — we were busy paddling, and there was no safe space for a camera or phone. But the guides took some shots that they gave to us on a CD. If those ever get distributed, I’ll be sure to update. For now, enjoy the Dubrovnik pics!
Originally published at www.girlfliessolo.com on August 25, 2017. For more content, please visit my site, and follow me on Twitter and Instagram. If you liked my story, give it some applause!
