The Feed

Lately I’ve been struggling between my responsibility to my family and to myself. Who comes first? I’ve always been a family girl, most of my days in Ohio are spent playing games and laughing with my family. I love them with my whole heart. I’ve been blessed to grow up in a tight knit community. This is the longest time I’ve ever been away from them. When I started traveling, they all wanted a date that I’d be back. In my head, 9 months was long enough. I thought by September

If you would’ve asked me 4 years ago what my life plan was, I would have probably given you a pretty defined answer. I wanted to land a job that paid well and would relocate me. My top priorities were money and growth opportunities in a stable career. Why is that? Society tells us that security is the most important and happiness can only sprout from this. It teaches us to associate safety and comfort with money and fulfillment with belongings- all things we’re told a job wil

What happens when a person simultaneously has a fear of missing out and a fear of disappointing herself? She gets overwhelmed easily, spends maybe too much time in reflection trying to make sense of the confusion, and then she writes about it. As a bubbly solo traveler, this looks like saying yes to a night full of plans even when I know I won’t have fun. I say yes, then have a terrible time. The entire night, I kick myself for not having more fun, for not talking to more peo

It’s always nice to go somewhere for a certain desired experience- the touristy things that everyone suggests. I’ve gone to Belize specifically for the snorkeling, India to learn yoga, France to see the Eiffel Tower. But what I’ve come to realize is I don’t care nearly as much for these things as I do the people I’ve met and grown to love while traveling. I thought I traveled for the experiences, but really, I travel for the people. What makes a trip memorable and special for

I’ve always always always loved to sing. I sing everywhere, but never for other people. Even when I gain the confidence to do some karaoke, I choose a song that I don’t actually have to hit the notes on, just something that everyone knows and can vibe to. But I’ve always had this dream of being able to sing in front of people, Miley Cyrus style. Showing my personality through the songs, raspy low vibes, enjoying the time & entertaining people with my voice. After 25 years of

You know what solves most of the problems we have with each other? Honest and open communication. You know what most people avoid? Honest and open communication. Why is this? Maybe it’s just easier to assume people’s intentions. Maybe we are too uncomfortable to have the conversations we need to understand better. Maybe we like making other people out to be the villain. The villain we create allows us to avoid the vulnerability of asking for the truth. I absolutely know how c

Love has been on my mind a lot lately. Watching rom coms left and right, I’ve realized one of my biggest fears in this life is to waste years being dishonest with myself and the people around me. To be unhappy in a relationship because I don’t have the courage to tell the truth. To remember someone that I should’ve fought for but let go of. The only way I can avoid this is by expressing myself fully. Maybe it makes me vulnerable to tell people how I feel. To walk around with

Traveling is beautiful. It’s enriching, breathtaking, exciting, and gives lifetime memories. The side that isn’t shown is the hard goodbyes. The emptiness that I feel when I part ways with amazing people. The hard transition from hanging out with the same friends and feeling comfortable to starting over again in a new place. I know this is the price I have to pay. If I want to meet tons of cool people, I have to realize it’s going to be in passing. Knowing this beforehand doe

Each day while backpacking looks a bit different. For me, it’s a happy mix between type A and B behavior. Weeks at a time can flow with ease, not a single care about plans. Not choosing anything in advance. I wake up and as the day goes on, things come up. Maybe I meet another traveler that I join for a sunset hike. If I have an idea for the day but something else is proposed, I flow. Maybe I cancel plans and stay home. Super flexible and adaptable, type B vibes. There are ot

What an umbrella term for so many feelings and emotions, right? I want to go sit with that group of girls and make friends but I’m too anxious. I want to complete my to-do list but it’s so long and overwhelming, and now I’m anxious. I want to start traveling but the thought of it makes me anxious. What does being anxious really mean? It means to have fear of the uncertain future. I get anxious before putting myself out there because what if those girls don’t like me? I get an

Everything we do has a root cause, right? This means that my tendency to people please isn’t because I’m an inherently kind and generous human, but maybe something deeper. Maybe I can’t say no to people because I want to feel important. Maybe I want to feel needed. I’ve always believed that if I tell people no or I don’t make time even if I’m drained, then my relationships will suffer. Then my identity as an accommodating human will be tarnished. I don’t always tell people th

There have certainly been periods in my life where I am the villain in someone else’s story. No matter how kind I try to be, how considerate I am, or what I do to protect someone else’s feelings, there will always be someone who gets hurt. That’s the thing about life, things almost never go according to plan. Instead of longing for a perfect outcome, I can find comfort in my intentions. If they were in the right place, I can forgive myself for not acting perfectly. I can acce

Last week I turned 25 and if you have me on social media, this was made abundantly clear. Birthday’s have always been very special to me, but this one felt more special. I’m officially my mid twenty. At a first glance, it seems that 30 is approaching too quickly. But when I really take the time to look deeper, I realize how special the first 5 years of my twenties have been. I can’t help but feel intense excitement for the next 5. It’s easy to feel like time is always running

Like the waterfall The world keeps flowing and moving That which flows freely Allows the universe to do the rest A bird sings her song without thought Dancing through the sky fully present Waves endlessly crash on the sand The moon shines selflessly in the night And I wonder if this is the way To be absorbed in the present To move with love To be filled with joy and kindness Until there is no separation A soft merging of self and life Then the memory returns There was never a

Dancing is my favorite form of creation. It’s medicinal. It’s comforting. It’s releasing and it’s joyful. Except when I observe feelings of insecurity and self doubt. It’s truly a vulnerable way of expression, especially when there are people around. The thing is though, who cares? If dancing is what makes me happy, I should dance. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it doesn't need to be trendy, it just needs to be immersive. I find myself too caught up in the looks of dancing, w