Recently, it was brought to my attention by someone (who chose to remain anonymous) that it was “ridiculous” and “completely self-centered” to include a travel blog on an art website and that “nobody cares about some ‘Plain-Jane’ looking girl” and her travels.
Of course, this was a cyber-bully behind a keyboard. Of course, this happens all the time. Of course, this is something one should expect when they put themselves out there on social media platforms. Just because something happens all the time, doesn’t mean it’s okay.
I’ve never advertised that this website is for everybody and I never will. If you do not care about my travel experiences, know that nobody is forcing you to click the link to my site. If you feel like I am doing an excessive amount of self-promotion (on a page literally titled my own name), know that nobody is forcing you to follow me. If what I’m offering doesn’t resonate with you, nobody is forcing you to take free yoga classes or purchase (or even look at) my artwork.
If you are reading this right now, if you are exploring my website right now, if you are looking at my social media account right now, something drew you here. You choosing to stay is a decision you are making on your own.
If you are looking at my online platforms in an overly critical, judgmental way or if my posts cause you to feel any negative type of emotions then I ask you to consider what is actually going on. Ask yourself why? Why do you care? What is it about my site that is just intriguing enough for you to visit but also bothers you enough that you internally tear it down and internally tear me apart. I’ve been there before. It’s usually our own selves that are the cause of our own issues. When we see something others are doing or putting out there that triggers a negative emotion, its typically a sign that there are some internal issues that haven’t been addressed yet. I would suggest some shadow work, some inner-child work, or perhaps a little yoga… but that’s not really my point here.
My point of this post is to address the Travel section of my website. This anonymous person seemed extremely upset that I would “ramble on and on” about my travel experiences in the middle of an art website. It didn’t make sense to him/her why I might include this on an art website. It’s very clear that my website is divided into three separate sections. I include yoga, travel, and art because these all have helped me work through my own anxiety. If you Google "anxiety disorder", approximately 233,000,000 results pop up. People are curious! This website is my own little take on how I handle anxiety and how I handle life. I offer tips, advice, and resources in hopes to help others. I decided to write this article specifically to clear up any confusion on why I thought that anybody would care about my travel experiences.
So here it is...
I can see how at a small glimpse of my life, it could appear that I am posting about my travel experiences in a shallow attempt to boast to others: “Look at me and look at where I’ve been!”
I’ve considered this a lot and it’s a fear of mine that my travel blog could be perceived in this way. That fear has prevented me from creating a travel blog. This is something I have dreamed about but haven’t followed through with until recently.
Is the intention behind my travel blog to “self-promote”? In short, yes! It absolutely is.
I’m proud of my travels. I’m aware that in the grand scheme of things, I live what most would consider a “privileged” life. I’m not going to argue against that to anybody. But from a young age, I took the cards that life dealt me. I'll admit, I was given a good hand. And I was smart about it. I took my cards and I played them to my advantage.
But even with that, let’s be real. It’s not like a private jet landed at my front door and took me to all of these foreign countries for free. I’ve traveled a lot. I’ve seen a lot. I’ve spent a lot. I’ve risked a lot.
If you take a small look into my travel experiences, maybe you see pretty pictures and exotic places. You see the fun, you see the easy. What I don’t boast or post about all that often is the downside to traveling. Why? Because I’m not on social media (or this website) for a pity party or for sympathy or to over-dramatize anything.
I’m here to be real. The reality of it is that I was able to gain the experiences I had because I made some sacrifices in other areas of my life. I lived and worked on a cruise ship. I worked for 70+ hours a week with no days off for 4-5 months at a time. I shared hostels with strangers who were coming and going. I took taxi rides alone with drivers that didn’t speak my language. I missed weddings, birthdays, and funerals. I would go days and sometimes weeks at a time without cell phone or internet service. I ate questionable food and slept in questionable hotels. Sometimes, I just skipped out on basic needs like sleep and food. I experienced being stuck in airports abroad with no guarantee of when I was getting home. I spent a lot of hard-earned money. I took a lot of risks. I left my comfort zone over and over again.
When I hit my 30’s and most of my friends had long moved onto the next stages of their lives… careers in full-motion, marriage and maybe a kid or two, a down payment on a house, some money invested in a 401k, I had to ask myself a simple question. Why?
Why sacrifice an entire decade of my life to be this far behind with not much to show other than a passport full of stamps? I promise you, this wasn’t all so I could create a self-promoting, “look at me and how cool I am” website and Instagram account.
I created a travel blog because I believe in the importance of travel. I know that each travel experience is unique. People can go to the exact same places and follow the same exact itinerary and come back with different stories to share. I share my experiences in an effort to guide others on their own travel adventures. I share to provide insight into other countries and cultures. I share for people out there who might not have the ability or the privilege to travel. I share to show people who are feeling anxious about travel that it is safe and doable, even with an anxiety disorder.
I self-promote on my website because I can only write about my experiences and my perspectives. I’m not here to tell you what Rick Steves or Johnny Jet experienced during their European vacations. I’m here to tell you about me, what I’ve done, what I recommend, what I learned, what I enjoyed, what I wouldn’t do again, and what I loved.
This travel blog is more than a collection of my travels. It’s a section of my heart in the form of an html address.
Travelers are important. Travelers connect cultures and communities. Travelers step away from the comfort of their own lives to learn about other places and people. As an American traveler, I am a direct representation for how others view Americans. I’m proud of where I went, who I met, and how I represented myself in foreign countries. As a female traveler, I’m proud that I found ways to stay safe in foreign countries rather than avoid places and experiences out of fear. As a worker, I’m proud that I worked hard and saved harder to travel. As a “millennial”, I’m proud that I began traveling way before Instagram or influencers were a thing. I couldn’t boast about my traveling via an online platform even if I wanted to… so please know I didn’t do it all for a cool Instagram account.
I did this to fulfill my curiosity about this world. I did this to witness first-hand how others live their lives. I did this meet and interact with people who didn’t grow up the same way I did. I did this to learn, to grow, to open my mind, to build connection and trust with other cultures. I did this to find beauty in a world that many consider ugly. I did this to experience love in a world that many consider full of hate. From my perspective, we live in an amazing world. I’ve seen too much good in other people, places, and cultures to be convinced otherwise.
As for my fellow travelers out there… Please never let anyone diminish your experiences or make light of all that you sacrifice to get out there and see the world. You are not the most important person in this world. Nobody is. But you are important. In a world where people can easily hide behind keyboards and bully strangers they’ve never met, we need people like you getting out there and making actual, genuine connections with real people and real places. You are experiencing the world in a very unique way and your connections will keep the heart of humanity alive. You are a light when the world gets dark so please continue to travel well, shine your light, be proud of how you represent yourself and your culture, and continue to share your experiences with the rest of the world!
