As an introvert, the pandemic did little to alter the lifestyle I was carrying on. If anything, lockdown is the most comfortable I have probably ever been! But the lack of autonomy at my job, and a deceptive manager, were slowly feeding a desperate need to break free. I was lucky to have a job, but needed an out… and quick.
Seeing that the pandemic was meeting its social death, I wanted to replicate the freedom and limitlessness I felt on my cross-country US road trip. But I wanted something different, something new. So I planned a road trip around the UK. It was the perfect opportunity to get lost in a land teeming with mythology.
It was in the midst of my planning and fantasizing that I realized how badly I wanted to experience life abroad. I needed more than a road trip. Vacations were not going to be enough. I suddenly felt the urge to leave Chile and live in Europe. So I studied my options frantically and carefully. In two months’ time, I applied and was accepted for an International MBA in Barcelona.
The following year and a half would find me on the road, exploring and discovering as much of Europe as my budget and studies would allow. And there is so much I take from that experience, there were lessons around every corner outside of class. No, I did not find myself or my true calling, or anything like that. But did tap into some insights.
My Google Maps Timeline for 2022 has me going to six different countries, 90 cities, and 563 different places.
Love Is a Sweet Thing. Traveling puts you in a different mindset than the one you have at home. It opens you up to new experiences, it heartens you to try new things, and it leaves any and all judgment behind. So now you’re out in the world and going through the motions with childlike wonder. It’s exhilarating.
When I boarded the plane, I left all my frustrations and disappointments behind. I let go of everything weighing me down. Suddenly I was light as a feather and walking on air, high on life and expectation. Being in Spain feeling as fulfilled as I was, it’s easy to fall in love and enjoy even the simplest of pleasures.
What I realized was that love is not so impressive after all. It’s all a matter of attitude and disposition. I can be happy anywhere, so long as I choose to be. It’s all a matter of letting go and opening up – a daily exercise to be sure. But it feels so good to see the world through a child’s eyes, and find love everywhere around me, always growing wild.
The Road Is a Lover. You can’t see the world unless you leave your comfort zone. And the further you stray, the harder it is to go back. You’re in too deep, you’re falling in love, and you want more. One road leads to another and the experiences start piling up as you go from doubt and trepidation to the thrill of the chase.
As I embraced the uncertainty of life in constant movement, I realized how hard it became to commit to things. I stopped recording music, missed friends’ weddings, and lost out on different opportunities; friends and lovers were so for a weekend, never to be seen again. I just didn’t know where I was going to be (or maybe I did and had to choose).
Alas, you can’t have it all. I had to make decisions and embrace the anxiety that comes with saying “no” to people, places, and things. Once again, I found myself having to let go. The hopes and dreams I left in the dust were the price I had to pay to experience the purpose that was driving me at the moment. As is ever in life…
No One Cares About Your Dreams. I believe that fantasy is the first and greatest of all pleasures. I am an unrelenting dreamer and an inveterate daydream believer. Most of my dreams I have made a reality, some withered on the vine, and others live on to see a new day. More times than not, your dreams are all your own.
Every dream I have ever had has been an uphill climb, where I have had to prove everybody wrong. And one thing has always rung true: nobody really cares. And that’s a good thing! It gives you every liberty to try things out, to go for it and change directions if you so please, to fail and try again. Nobody’s looking.
People will cheer you on and wish you the best. If you succeed, they’ll be there to celebrate with you. If you fail, more like than not, they won’t even notice. If you make a fool of yourself, no one will remember the following day. Whatever the outcome, life goes on and everyone carries on with business as usual. So dream on, dare to try, and do what you want to do.
This is Me. My social and professional circle in Chile is mainly made up of people that came from, more or less, the same schools, majored in similar subjects, at the same universities, and followed pretty similar career paths. In other words, we’re all born of the same incest. It’s pretty easy to know who you are in such familiar territory.
Breaking out into the wider world, I have found myself going down long and uncharted roads. I have learned surprising lessons about what I’m willing to do and who I can be. It’s not about changing or finding your “true” self, but about pushing the limits of your self-perception. I have things inside me that only the road has been able to bring out.
Different countries, cities, and people will bring out different aspects of your personality. You’ll get a more far-reaching and wide-ranging understanding of who you are. This constant state of upheaval has led me to question myself, my life, everything and everyone around me. Distressful for sure, but invigorating at the same time. Where do I grow from here?
What you really learn on the road is how to live. And what you learn is that there are so many ways to live and so many ways to inhabit the life you choose. The places you go to, the people you meet, and the friends you make will challenge you and everything you thought you knew about the world and yourself. Are you ready to push yourself and try new things?