Make like a tree and...

Leave! Make like a banana and split! Be like butta and get on a roll! And I do mean butta, not butter, baby! Ok? Get it? Got it? Good!

Ok. Now take a breath. Whew. Breathe that out.

So today’s JOY IN THE CITY is about getting outta town. I’m talking about taking a hint from a tree, a banana, a pat of butter… or whatever silly expression you can think of to say it’s time to go. Speaking of which, if you think of any cool, new expressions along that vein, please pass ‘em along.

I travelled for 3 months last year.  4 countries on a shoe string budget with my partner in crime, the king of cool and sweetness, my boyfriend, who shall remain nameless.  We hiked, camped, sky-dived, visited tons of castles, museums, beaches, couch surfed, hitch hiked, and (to my delight) met his friends and family.  Up until that point I had done no international travel since 2008. I didn’t even realize how my soul had been yearning to just GO, be somewhere else, explore new terrain!    

I discovered, among other things, that I love Portugal, the Eiffel Tower is indeed breathtaking, that Corsica is magical, and that Amsterdam bikers are no joke.  I also realized that I love my life. Not just my vacation life, but also my regular day to day, which was the best part.

I've spoken to lots of people about topics related to travel, and something I hear repeatedly is “How I wish I could travel” and other variations of “if only I could.” I was lucky to take that trip. It happened because the universe wanted it to happen and I listened. I’m certainly not rich. But what really struck me is how little such an amazing vacation takes. Not everyone can go away for 3 months. I probably won’t take that amount of time again for a long time. But going away every now and again still doesn't take much at all.

Just a weekend away visiting another city, a day trip to a neighboring town, a week somewhere entirely new, a few weeks in another country can be a small present to yourself that will clear your head and re-motivate you in priceless ways.

So many of us living in this bustling metropolis get struck in the “container” of our lives, and forget to just break out every once in awhile. Some New Yorkers can’t even fathom going to Philly (my favorite NY quick get away) for a day trip! It truly takes less than you imagine.

The best part of my travel was realizing how much I value my time here on earth in this life. I began to take my life’s purpose more seriously, I became more courageous, and more gentle (with myself and others). I got the courage to re-organize my life and take risks that I only wistfully considered before.

And now here I am writing the blog I always wanted to write. And there you are reading it. ahhh. Life. Ain’t it grand?

Ok! Get outta here! Go! You’ll love it. And it will make you better for the life you love in the city you love.