Hello how are you I’m fine!
Well… not lizexactly.
One year ago, I said adios to NYC and got on a plane to Argentina to travel the world. And now I’m crying in the backseat of an Uber, leaving my home in Saigon and heading out for the next adventure. And by “home,” I mean a group of the most amazing family I didn’t even know a year ago today. Is it even possible to be homesick when our homes have been different in 11 countries? But it was the people there who made it home. It didn’t matter where in the world we were, being together made it our home. We are the luckiest people.
Leading up to Remote Year, I didn’t do a lot of preparation (got a suitcase the morning I left for my flight from JFK and a cell phone on the car ride there- thanks Julie Gates Hekker lol), and I never really considered the impact that this experience would have on me. I love to travel and my company supported me, and that was that. I figured that anyone else in my group would probably be cool if they had the same mindset to travel like I did, but damn. If you had asked me a year ago if I thought my year would have been this impactful on my life, I would have said “Probably? I guess there’s only one way to find out!” And the only way to find out was to say yes and go from there.
I became “my truest self” in over 20 countries this year, adapting to each culture and environment with my best foot forward, and experiencing the good, the bad and even the ugly sometimes (like having to wish my mom a Happy Mother’s Day from a Bolivian hospital with a broken collarbone).
Despite the Instagram life, there were some times off the camera that didn’t show the 4 months of night-shift hours (because this was only made possible by having a full time job, and I owe it all to Karlie and Abbie because without their support and help along the way, I wouldn’t be here today, thank you). And I am the luckiest person to not only have the most amazing family around the world, but to have an equally amazing group of family and friends to come home to. I’ve missed you all, and am excited to get back and celebrate everything that has happened over the past year to all of us.
To everyone I’ve met along the road, cheers to you, and to everyone who has supported me and followed my journey, you are all incredible, thank you.
I’ll be in Hong Kong for the week for my #relationtrip with Lindsay Jean Orr, and then flying to Florida to spend time with Grandma Terry Hekker before making the move back to NYC on April 1, straight to The Supply House.
It’s been one hell of an adventure but now it’s time to say okay bye bye see you.
^Airport chic, as seen in the Dallas airport, lol
