“Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life”
― Michael Palin

Someone once challenged me with creating a “Joy List”; a list I thought would be easy to create but it wasn’t easy. It actually brought me to tears when I could only think of 2 things that brought me joy. After a good cry and feeling sorry for myself, I set out on a mission; a mission to find my joy.

At the top of my joy list was travel. There were so many places I wanted to see but I felt trapped by my lifestyle. Managing a job, a house, a family and even Stella made me feel like traveling was impossible.

Luckily, the stars aligned for me. The job I had didn’t work out and I took that as a sign instead of a failure. Leaving my job turned into selling my house and all my shit! And that turned into taking a year to find my joy. I thought there’s no better way to learn how to be with me and experience my true joy then to explore life outside of a city I’ve been so comfortable living in for 28 years.

So I began my travel sabbatical spending a month in Mexico and then traveled 9,000 miles, in a Tesla, with Stella. Just me and Stella exploring the world. This road trip changed me in ways I never expected. I learned I don’t need a lot of stuff to be happy. I learned how to be with myself for long periods of time, even if it felt uncomfortable. I learned that there are good people out there, people willing to help. And I learned that no matter where I was, my friends and family were only a phone call away.

It became crystal clear that feeling attached to expectations, a person, or even a city or job is what was causing my pain…when I finally started to let go, a level of freedom I can’t describe came over me.

Traveling brought this clarity to me and traveling sparked a joy inside me that I will never let go. You don’t have to quit your job, get a divorce or take a travel sabbatical to bring this kind of joy in your life. Simply find ways to explore new places in your community or nearby locations. Travel is about adventure and experiencing new things - near or far.