So far this week I’ve been on a bit of a beverage kick. One latte, one shot of espresso and three bottles of kombucha… it’s fine. I’m in need of some high energy I guess? I also left work last night, headed to Whole Foods in this week’s second (almost) hurricane and ended up purchasing a bottle of Stumptown cold brew (the best iced coffee I’ve tasted in my life thus far, aside from Blue Bottle). I feel as if I’m running on a fully charged battery that barely has a second to hit 5% because I have so many ideas whizzing around my brain.
I ended up calling my dad on the way home from work Monday afternoon saying I had never been so happy in so long. So many things and moments in my life currently are changing and all I’m trying to do is take it one day at a time. Then again, I cannot help but plan for the future and dream REALLY big. How big you ask…
Well, I’ve got a ton of to-do bullets written down in my planner as of this week. One of which… start a Facebook page for my blog. Another? Go on a trip to California within the next six months. Both of which are on the total opposite sides of the spectrum in my mind but I have faith they each will happen very, very soon.
I don’t know where the idea came from but for the past few months I’ve been longing to move westward. Anytime someone asks me my plans for after college, I immediately say “I want to move to the west coast” or “I want to move to California or Oregon, somewhere with mountains and a beach but also the city.”
After my many visits to Kansas (where my mom currently lives), I have seen what it’s like to be isolated and live in really what is the middle of nowhere. A place where you can see the sunset and sunrise at a 360º view, where there are no ambulances blaring in your ears every time you walk outside and you can see the stars at night. One of the most peaceful places possible, yet at the same time the extreme isolation can really get me. Traveling to Kansas so often made me realize what I truly want in life is a balance between both city and farm life. Somewhere where I can hike a mountain alone but at the same time, I could be surrounded by dozens of people on one of the busiest streets in the city and love every second. Where I can purchase local fruit at the daily farmers market and if I can’t afford workout classes (because God knows I won’t be able to), I can walk down the beaches every morning followed by a quick yoga session.
Since I turn 21 this coming January, my hopes are set high to plan a trip to California. Because I don’t drink, I figured why not travel and do something I’m passionate about rather than stay in downtown Chicago and bar hop? At the beginning of the summer I originally thought maybe a yoga retreat would be nice or even jetting off to a tropical island. Now all I have my eyes set on is a bike ride along the palm-tree lined streets and a chai tea latte from Café Gratitude. Something simple and easy, totally in the realm of reality.
As of now I’m stuck between just going out on a whim and purchasing a ticket for January and dealing with hotels and all of the nitty-gritty in a few months or waiting it out and seeing what would work best as time goes on. Yet the more inspiration I’ve been receiving lately, the more motivated I am to just go for what I want, be spontaneous and solidify a decision sooner rather than later.
In regards to traveling to California this coming winter, I’m hoping to land an internship and sublease somewhere next summer. My goals may seem to be extremely high but I’m a huge believer in if you want something bad enough and you try hard enough for it, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to achieve and receive it. So many moments and opportunities I’ve received lately would not have been able to happen if I didn’t push myself for them and go out a limb to make a move.
I have noticed in my recent urge to travel and move to California and the west coast that I have an extreme case of not wanting to be anywhere for too long. When I lived in Cleveland my whole life I just assumed I wanted to move to Chicago because I was tired and sick of Cleveland, it was boring, there was nothing to do or see… same old, same old. My senior year of high school I thought, “I will never want to leave Chicago. I will want to stay there forever.” Now that I’ve been here for two years, I wouldn’t say I’m exactly “bored” or “tired”, but I feel as though a part of me is missing. I’m ready for change. Longing for it.
You could call it wanderlust but I believe there is so much out there to see, people to meet and opportunities to be had that why not try to experience it? My family always was traveling when I was younger, even if it was just in the U.S. Maybe that is why I am so prone to always wanting to escape my home and be on the move. I also love finding new restaurants in local cities (being the foodie I am), unique shops, new scenery and of course, the climate. What could be better?
So I guess for the time being I will continue to daydream my life away by looking at flights on Kayak and Expedia. Speaking of which, last night I found a flight for $80 the weekend of my birthday… I think the only thing holding me back from purchasing it was the fact it was 12:30a.m. in the morning when my eyes were seconds away from shutting.
If anyone has any tips for me on traveling, plane tickets, where to stay in California or perfect times to go in between December and January – let this girl know! 🙂
Happy Wednesday, my fellow chickpeas.
-Addie
