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Change: It Does a Body Good

posted 13th May 2011    Written by: Katharine    CATEGORY: All Posts, Katharine, Quarterlife Crisis, Season 4, Travel, Travel/Adventure, What I've Learned

“What happens when we lose the things that anchor us?” – The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost

My ‘anchor’ consisted of a mediocre job, a struggling nonprofit organization, unsatisfying friendships, and a burning feeling of inadequacy.  It triggered my Quarterlife Crisis and I started asking myself those tough questions – What do I really want out of life?  Am I really happy?  Will I ever be enough?

“What if, instead of grasping at something to hold on to, we pull up our roots and walk away?”

I always thought the idea of walking away from something [or someone] was admitting defeat, giving up, or taking the easy way out.  I thought that by walking away, you became weak and vulnerable to everything [and everyone] around you.  But walking away from an unsatisfying, mediocre lifestyle that I was living in Philadelphia forced me to answer those tough questions and evaluate the self-destructing path I had created for myself.  It forced me to realize that I wasn’t happy; I wanted something more fulfilling and gratifying.

“Before, some places just seemed too far, too difficult to reach, but once you start traveling, you never want to stop.”

Prague was just the tipping point.  I want to backpack through Europe, lay on the beaches in South East Asia, explore South America, and take a Safari ride through an African Jungle.  I want to see every hidden gem and set foot on every continent (three down, four to go). 

“What I found on the road was a tiny piece of myself.  These past few years I had survived my own personal disasters and realized I was strong enough … to live my life without fear or worry or doubt that nothing was going according to plan, as though such a plan ever existed in the first place.”

Traveling abroad for any significant amount of time truly changes your life.  As you adapt to the different cultures and lifestyles, you learn that you don’t need things like cable television or central air conditioning to survive (neither of which I had in Prague).  You begin to learn the difference between need and want, and you learn to find pleasure in simple things, like laughing from your soul and smiling just because. 

My life in the States was becoming too predictable – work, hockey, drink, sleep. Lather, rinse, repeat – and it really scared the shit out of me.  Is this really what my life has become?! Before I decided to go to Prague, I had a major anxiety attack.  The fear crippled me and I felt like I was chained to the floor.  I’m scared of becoming one of those people who settle for a mediocre life because they’re too afraid of being gutsy and taking risks.

I returned to the States briefly to get my visa and work permit approved by the U.S. Embassy to teach in Thailand, and by the second day that I was back in the City of Brotherly Love, I wanted to leave again to avoid falling back into a mundane, unsatisfying lifestyle that I once had.

I thought working through the culture shock of life in Prague would be difficult, but as it turns out, my biggest culture shock has been returning to the States and trying to fit in again.  Nothing changed since I left, and people don’t care about my stories now that I’m back.  A friend warned me about this over lunch.  I didn’t want to believe it, but as I started reconnecting with more friends and acquaintances, I discovered that he was right (I hate when he’s always right).  I felt more lost returning to America than I did wandering the cobblestone streets of Prague.

I always thought that everyone around me was changing – new jobs, new relationships, making babies – but the truth is, I’m the one who’s changing, and everyone else is standing still, feet stuck in the cement.

Five months ago, my biggest fear was moving to Prague.  Those five months flew by, I survived living in Prague (and I truly loved it), and now my biggest fear is becoming inadequate, unhappy, and settling for mediocrity.

So much of my life has changed (for the better) in a short amount of time.  I guess sometimes change is exactly what we need to live our best life.

{Photo credit: David Reece}

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I Was Born With The Travel Bug

posted 30th September 2009    Written by: Andrea    CATEGORY: All Posts, Andrea, Quarterlife Crisis, Season 1, Travel, Travel/Adventure

globesWhen I first heard of Stratejoy and the adventures of wonderful Miss Molly Hoyne, the one thing that really struck me was her year-long travel excursion. I was so jealous!

Reading through other QLC blogger posts, I’ve noticed that travel is a common theme among all of us. From Robyn taking some time to go through Europe, to Kendra moving from NYC to Montreal and back to NYC again, it seems like travel and exploring are crucial parts of the Quarterlife Crisis.

I grew up traveling up and down the east coast on family vacations and consider myself extremely lucky to have had these many opportunities. I have this theory that you can always tell when you meet a person, if they travel or not.

It’s just something about they way a person looks at the world.

I also think it has a lot to do with the mentality of Generation Y.  We are a restless bunch and it’s hard to sit still. We want to be a part of this crazy, exciting world! (I know I generalize here, so feel free to disagree with me.)

In high school, I went to Europe for two weeks and then in graduate school spent an amazing three weeks in China. Those were both trips I never in a million years thought I would take, yet I went because the opportunity presented itself. I’m the type of person that if given a chance to explore, I will take it in a heartbeat, regardless of the cost. (Probably why I am 25 years old and broke as a joke. I would rather say I saw the world then saved money. You only live once right?)

Lately, I have been feeling the itch to get up and go. Maybe not move, but take some time to see how other people live.

Sometimes I feel bad and selfish though, because I travel often for my job.  Over the past two years, I have been to a dozen states and track the cities on a map in my room. I love traveling for work, there is no way I would be able to sit still in an office or cubicle from 9-5.

While sitting at my desk at work though, daydreaming, I think about taking a three-month leave of absence from work to travel along the Mediterranean. I contemplate driving cross country with my roommate or visiting a friend in London.

I mean, when else in my life will I have the chance to go? I’m not responsible to a family, a house or elderly parents. Someday, I will look back on this point in my life and I want to be sure I lived it to the fullest.

Travel plays a huge part in my life. You could say I was born with the travel bug.

Thinking of traveling? Need help with direction or inspiration?

STA Travel
Heard of STA Travel? They are an amazing travel agency offering trips all over the globe to young people and teachers. They have this fabulous internship given to two lucky students each year. The students travel around the country (for free) documenting the journey though photos, short videos, blogs and updates. How awesome?!

Travelzoo
Travel deals galore! I subscribe to Travelzoo updates and constantly look for affordable, exotic trips. Travelzoo sends email updates once a week on flights, hotels, package deals, last minute excursions and more to the most fabulous places around the world. Try it, I’m obsessed.

Work Abroad
Great jobs are not limited to just the USA. Friends of mine have participated in working internship programs from London to Paris and Australia. Go see what it’s like to work in a different country.

Experience The World Without Leaving Home
Visit online travel communities like Lonely Planet, read the colorful Conde Naste Traveler or catch an episode or two of fun shows on the Travel Channel.

And now for some REALLY BIG NEWS!

I am going to Eastern Europe in October! I discovered a great company called TopDeck which offers some non-traditional travel excursions fro 18-30 year olds. I’ve booked a trip for twelve days through the six countries of  Germany, Czech Republic, Poland (the motherland! I can’t wait to tell my Grandma!) Slovakia, Hungary and Austria.

I am so excited because I’ve wanted to go someplace, anyplace and I chose to do this trip solo, just for me. Plus, going to Poland is on my list of things to do before in 30, so look out Poland here I come!

Andrea (new) bio.

photo credit: greg_robbins

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