Embarking on a Trip of a Lifetime: All the Feelings
How do I even begin to describe what it feels like to breathe travel dreams into being? Well, it all started when I began feeling anxious about life, work, house duties, adulthood, etc. Yes, I had what I call a “thriceis” (aka, a “30’s life crisis”)! So, what do you do when you feel anxious…well you start dreaming of where you could travel of course! (or maybe that is just me). My husband and I started talking about all the places we’d like to see, all the things we’d like to do, and all the food we would like to eat…especially before the possibility of having children. We then sat back and lamented “ahh, that would be the life, just forget our adult duties for a little while and travel”. About three days later, I told him “well, maybe we could travel for 1 or 2 weeks this summer”. Which would have been alright, but I just didn’t have much time built up at work for my paid leave. So then we both kind of jokingly implied that I should just quite my job, he could keep his while taking some time off, and we could travel to Europe for a few weeks (he’s a software consultant and I’m a pediatric physical therapist…one job travels well, one doesn’t).
Well…I’m here to tell you that is exactly what we did! We secretly started planning our dream trip in January of 2019 and I put in my resignation a few months after. We quickly realized however, that a few weeks just wasn’t going to be enough…it suddenly turned into a 9 week summer extravaganza trip! 9 countries in 9 weeks (Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Greece, Turkey, Poland, and the Czech Republic…in that order).But man, when I tell you that my emotions have been all over the place, you best believe it!
What types of feelings you ask?
Exhaustion : I do truly love my job as a pediatric physical therapist, but I was quickly burning out from the stress of it (endless paperwork, emotional involvement, physical excursion, talking all day, insurance management, etc). I want to be the best therapist I can be and will love returning to it, but I just need a break!
Sadness: I hated saying goodbye to my patients and their families, as well as my awesome co-workers. My patients are “my kids”…I love them as if they were my own and will certainly miss them this summer. My co-workers are my support…they are an amazing team and I’m lucky to really love who I work with! But….I know I will be back in Tallahassee again and I hope to see them all in the fall (after all 2 month isn’t really that long).
Excitement: Wow, how cool….the privileged to travel Europe for 2 months with my incredible husband is the trip of a lifetime and I am so excited! Excited to visit 9 different countries, eat authentic,local food, experience so many different cultures, wander and forget what day it is, take pictures of incredible moments, learn more history, see incredible works of art, visit humbling places, experience various physical adventures, sit and breathe, enjoy the little things, and most importantly spend valuable time with my gracious, adventurous husband and learn more about each other and ourselves.
Anxiousness: So many things to be anxious about, but I’m trying to learn to live in the moment. Sometimes my anxiety gets the better of me though…what if something happens to our house while we are away (no worries, we have 2 best friends who will be house watching for us…thanks David and Anne) (plus we have tons of amazing family in town that are always willing to help us). What if something bad happens while we are there, what if we don’t like the places we picked, what if our housing plans fall through while we are there. What if I can’t find a job when I return, what if I lose my physical fitness (I’m a pole dancer, aerial hoop artist, handstand lover, yoga doer, etc…hence “The Aerial Excursionist”!). What if we run out of money (we’ve been saving, but still..ahh), what if, what it,what if. Well….you can’t live life on “what-ifs” and the my husband and I both agree…the reward definitely outweighs the risk for this trip! So I am going to stop worrying and enjoy the journey!
Peacefulness: Yes, this seems like a weird one, but I feel peaceful that we’ve made the right decision with this trip. I feel peaceful about my husband and I’s relationship and it gives me great happiness knowing that we are both in this together. We will both enjoy the ride knowing in our hearts that this is a great way to spend a little bit of time in our oh so very short lives.
So, Cheers to the Trip of a Lifetime! I can’t wait to keep you all posted on our adventures, discoveries, ah-ha moments, down-trodden days, and wonderful experiences. We are excited to go on what we have dubbed “Our Crazy European Trip”. Bon-Voyage!!
