I Chose The Path Less Traveled: Here's What I Learned in Year One
I couldn’t tell you if there was an exact moment where my aspirations shifted from wanting to work for a *huge* corporate company in Manhattan to desiring a life of slow travel, exploring the world, and working for myself. I can tell you that once my brain made that shift, there was no going back. The path less traveled was the one for me and I was going to go after it.
Everything is temporary and it’s important to find self-worth in things less transitory and remember that we are inherently worthy regardless of all of these labels placed on our lives.
When Things Shifted
As a business major in college, and I imagine in other degrees as well, getting a job after graduation seemed like the only thing anyone cared about. No one ever asked what you really wanted to do but rather how many internships you’ve done, interviews you’ve had, and extracurriculars you struggled through throughout your early 20s.
I graduated during the pandemic.
Yeah, talk about a weird time to be a senior in college.
I remember at the end of 2019, before leaving for winter break, all of my professors continued to ask me about the jobs I was applying for, and when I replied, “I haven’t applied to any,” they looked at me like I had 5 heads.
Ok, let’s address the elephant in this article before I go on any further.
The fact that I am even able to dream about not going down the “traditional path” post-graduation is a privilege. I do hold privilege. Thankfully, when the pandemic hit, I was able to live with my parents for free until I figured out what I wanted to do next. I have support and I acknowledge that is not the case for everyone.
While the exact steps I have taken may not be attainable for you, in sharing my story I hope that I inspire you to at least think about what you truly desire in life. I truly believe that one of the only reasons I am now living a life that aligns with my desires is because I took the time and did the work to get clear on understanding what I value and want in my life.
So long story short…
Somewhere along the way, I got in my head that I just couldn’t walk the “traditional” path — you know, the 9 to 5 job, apartment in a big city, stability, security, yada yada. I could not sit behind a desk for 8+ hours a day dreading each day until the shining light of the weekend came only to pass before the blink of an eye. I need to move, to explore, to create, to have space in my life.
I’m an Aries, don’t tell me what to do.
The First Year
In the first year of choosing the path less traveled, I lived in Hawaii for 5 months. I did a work trade at a Meditation Center in the middle of the jungle on the east side of the Big Island; started an astrology business while I was living in Kauai; lived in NYC for two months where I spent most days stressed out about money and overwhelmed by the intensity of the city which was a sharp contrast from Hawaii, and now I’m living in Guatemala. This year, I completed by 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training, did four weeks of intensive Spanish classes, and lived with a Guatemalan host family. It's been a big year for me.
I had no idea this year would pan out like this. I went to the Big Island on a whim and let everything else unfold as it did. In between trips, I spent weeks and months at home in Kentucky. Each time feeling more and more like taking a few steps back from everything I had just learned.
While living in Hawaii and New York and Guatemala seem incredible, and it was, it hasn’t been sunshine and rainbows. It has been a lot of trials, errors, learning, doubts, uncertainties, and yearning for the stability I was so quick to write off.
What I Learned on The Path Less Traveled
When you follow your heart, you’ll never fail (in the long term)
It sounds cheesy, I know, but trust me. The biggest thing I’ve learned this year is to keep your vision so close to your heart and when things get difficult, trust that it’ll work out. It takes courage to follow the path less traveled. It takes courage to go down the road no one else has gone down but if that is your path, then it is meant for you. Everything in life leads to the next; everything has something to teach us. Trust it. Trust in yourself.
The path less traveled is lonely
One of the most difficult things I have experienced while living a more transient life was the loneliness that follows. While you make incredible friendships and relationships, when you’re on the move, you learn to let go. It seems as soon as I get comfortable somewhere, it is time to move on. This path is lonely because at times it feels like no one understands you, or that you are walking through this world alone. It can feel like that but it doesn’t have to be like that. The beauty of this life is that there are always people like us, to connect and relate with. It may take time to find them, but they are there.
Things don’t have to make sense
The best things in life almost always *don’t* make sense. Time after time again this year, I have thought about my life and questioned what I’m doing and where I’m going. None of it really makes sense because none of it has been planned. I sometimes explain my life to others and confirm that none of this makes sense to me either. I can’t tell you where I’ve been living in 6 months' time but that’s okay with me. I’ve learned that often, we want our lives to make sense to make others feel more comfortable. We want to fit in and be included in society, which means being able to be identified in a certain class, category, or identity. If people can’t identify me by where I live, or what I do for work, or compare me to other people my age, then who am I really?
There’s no good or bad in life
One of the most important things I’ve learned this year is, it does not make me any better of a person if I am traveling or if I am living at home. Whether I am working on my own as a freelance marketer or working front desk at a gym or working in an entry-level position at a Fortune-500 company, none of that determines my worth. For a long time, I saw the separation between all of these things. I thought that I was better if I was traveling and that my worth plummeted as soon as I moved back into my childhood bedroom. The truth is, we are where we are and that’s okay. Everything is temporary and it’s important to find self-worth in things less transitory and remember that we are inherently worthy regardless of all of these labels placed on our lives.
TBH, this is just how I am
I’m the type of person who needs to experience something before I can make a decision about it. When I get an idea in my head, it won’t go away until I pursue it. Before this year, I thought I wanted to live this nomadic, backpacker lifestyle exploring the world for the rest of my life but I am realizing I do value groundedness and stability. For me that looks like slow travel, living in places for months at a time in order to build community, learn the culture, and soak up all that a place has to offer. I recently stayed at a hostel that I would have loved years ago but I found myself retreating to my room immediately after meals to avoid socialization — that’s not me anymore and that’s okay.
This year has taught me so much about myself and I am constantly gathering new experiences and knowledge to help me know myself more deeply and make more informed decisions about what’s next in my life. There has been a learning curve and many ups and downs throughout this year of choosing the path of uncertainty, trial and error, and the one that many people never dare to go down.
A Reminder For You
I’m sure next year will bring new challenges, insights, and clarity that I will not know until I get there. There’s no one way to live your life and my hope in sharing my journey is to remind you that we always have a choice with where we put our energy. There is always some way you can live in deeper alignment with the life you desire. Maybe you don’t move halfway across the world immediately but begin pondering, ‘what is it I truly desire in this life?’ Let the answer come with ease and lead you towards the next step in your path of life.