Itinerary Update {1}

Hey guys! This is the first time I've ever done one of these personal check-in/what I've been doing in life/how I'm feeling kind of posts and I'm a little nervous about it. Personally, I love reading other people's personal posts and what they've been up to in life so I'm hoping all y'all who stop on by here feel the same.

On the Blog...

Blogging Days...

Today I'm now finally making the commitment to do these. I really, really, really have had a lot of motivation and inspiration lately in regards to the blog. I have been re-reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood series for the past 3 weeks which gave me an amazing restart button on reading motivation. I've been drafting and writing a ton of travel posts that I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about them! I feel like I have a lot of great content and a lot of different kinds of travel posts. All of this has jump started my desire to really revamp my blog.

Revamp, she says?! Yes, revamp! I have a brand new idea for this blog and I would love to tell me what you think below. My idea is that I really want to transform and shift this blog into talking about books, travel, life and inspiration in equal parts. My goal is to post MWF, and have a book review/topic on Mondays, Adventures in the Great Wide Somewhere travel post on Wednesday, and then a personal checkup/lifestyle post/travel picture with inspirational quote on Friday. I'm really thinking of doing a favorite quote matched up with a travel photo on Friday and why that quote means what it does to me. Bear with me as I try to rearrange my book review format, I'll figure out what looks best eventually. I also have quite a few book posts written so a lot of those will appear on Fridays until I get into the groove/post what I've already written. 

My goal with these Friday posts are really to just inspire and get people thinking. I think words are so powerful and there are so many quotes that inspire me and have helped guide how I live my life that I want to share that with other people. I hope that doesn't sound condescending or overreaching, I just love words and travel so much, it was the best way I could think of to combine two things I love! With that said, a longer term goal of mine is to freshen up the design (thanks in advance Rach!) and add a brand new tagline...'Whether by plane, page, or picture, I want to inspire you to travel the world.' (What do we think?)

In Life...

Black Dagger Brotherhood is lifeblood. Legit my alternative real life. Not ashamed.

I've been talking about doing more social/life posts for what feels like forever. As you're reading this I'm more than likely moving into my new apartment in New Hampshire. As I said in my travel post on Wednesday, I start my new job at Dartmouth on Monday. I'm excited about it; I'm really ecstatic to live in New Hampshire and the New England area more than anything! I am already mentally planning weekend and day trips to all the surrounding states and seeing what beautiful sights they have to offer. This is probably the most excited I've been to move to a location since San Diego 2 years ago. I feel like my a piece of my heart has always been on the East Coast so I'm crossing my fingers this place and I are a good fit!

With that excitement comes natural nerves. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have any second guessing thoughts about it. I always feel a little anxious prior to moving across state lines where I will completely and totally alone for at least 13 weeks and working in a hospital I know nothing about. I'm not complaining by any means, don't get me wrong. I choose my choice and I love my choice but I feel like I need to cut the bullshit just a little bit.

The reason for the cutting of the bull is because I have had numerous people tell me on multiple occasions that they think what I do and how I live my life is 'so brave.' I always head tilt in confusion about this. Brave? Me? *Looks around confused* Are you talking to me? I never thought of how I lived my life was brave by any means. But I mean, I'm not gonna lie, it is the most flattering and uplifting thing somebody could say to me! I'm not trying to seek more compliments or have people blow smoke up my ass when I say this, it's just honest to God shock and flattery.

I cannot tell you the confidence it has given me to hear people say this and to have people believe I am some fearless nomad without a care in the world. It's amazing. But as with all social media and online personas, you can't believe everything you see. Do I love my life and think I've been blessed with amazing opportunities? Without a doubt. Do I always feel brave and powerful and unstoppable? Hell no. I am so incredibly excited to start this new adventure, the excitement has always outweighed the fear in all my decisions but it is there. I will more than likely have at least one gut check moment after dropping my mom and sister off at the airport on Sunday. I will 100% wake up every hour to make sure I didn't oversleep before my first day. I will also most likely get lost at least a dozen times in my first few weeks out there.

In Conclusion...

What's my point in all of this? I wanna keep it real. If you guys know me or have been here before you know I give zero fucks and never bullshit you. This aaaaaaaaall ties into my new blog changes and the new posts I want to write. I am not particularly brave. I have goals. And I take the necessary steps to achieve those goals. It's not because I have some secret source of courage, it's because I've been inspired by words and those around me who I see doing what I want to do. 

That is really the main reason for all this motivation and changes. I have had my life changed by the words I've read and the pictures I've seen of the world. I would love nothing more than to share even a shred of that inspiration to somebody else. More than anything I hope that does not make me sound preachy or condescending because that is not my goal. My goal is to uplift people. I wish I could say I've been on the receiving end up people uplifting me when I started this crazy travel journey a few years ago but that's not the case. If I toot my horn on anything it will be that I am extremely self-motivated and have used the power of words I've read to make it happen. I hope you feel the same way as I begin to write these. Stay tuned! I'm really excited to start these changes and I hope you stick with me and can be excited with me!