I love blogging about dating and relationships. It’s my thing. But I also have a secret passion for travel writing. I’ve done it only sporadically though, because lately I haven’t been able to afford much time or $ to go anywhere but the grocery store. But my experiences are always with me. They are never what I expect, and always somehow better.
Travel has helped me during the lowest times in my life—when my heart has been broken, when I have been broke (yes, it’s possible to travel without a lot of cash–just keep in touch with friends who move away and find ways to get miles), and when I have felt like I was at an impasse, unable to figure out where to go next.
One of the best trips I ever took was a solo experience. A hiking trip halfway around the world, where I slept in sheep dung and hiked through knee-deep mud and rain. It was fan-fucking-tastic. Why? Because I thought I would lose it, and instead, it helped me to release all those mental demons. I was unhappy about getting older, mostly because I had no boyfriend, a job I wasn’t happy with, and no money to buy that apartment I’d been saving for (longer story, but circa 2008). I thought my life had somehow gone off course, that I’d made terrible mistakes, that I had no idea what I was doing. So why not sleep in a little sheep dung, which was situated below the most amazing sunset I’ve ever seen in my life?
That trip was also the inspiration for this story, about my paragliding experience.
Also not what I expected.
So if you have the opportunity, book that trip. Even if your friend can’t make it. Even if your boyfriend dumped you. Even if it scares you to go alone. Even if it costs more than you’d like to spend. Forget those new boots. Trade them in for a plane ticket and see what happens.
About Kelly Seal
Kelly is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, CA. She blogs about dating, relationships, personal growth and what "healthy living" means to her. You can follow her on Google+, Twitter @kellyseal or through her website www.kellyseal.com.
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