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. 🙂
