The Perpetual Tourist

The countdown is on. In just under two weeks, I’ll be getting on a plane and leaving life as I’ve always known it. It’s not that I’m dropping everything and starting all over again — I’m not that dramatic — but my life is going to be very different, and I expect that I am going to be quite happy with the changes.

Up until now, I’ve lived by a schedule. Wake up, go to work, come home and struggle to stay awake for the few enjoyable hours of the day, fall asleep, repeat. If I wanted a vacation, it was always up to someone else. Actually, there were quite a few factors. Did I have enough money? Did my schedule line up with the schedules of my fellow travelers? Would my job allow me the time off? How much stress would this cause at the office when I returned to a week’s worth of backed up projects and communications? I’m very sorry to those still living with all these questions. I’m so glad I’m not.

A month ago, I quit my full-time job to be a free lance writer. It’s not that I hated the office, but the schedule sucked my will to live, and I’ve vowed that no matter what becomes of my writing career, I will live by my own schedule from now on. So after I left the office for the final time, I bought a plane ticket. I’m going to be traveling with my life partner (and bridge partner), McKenzie, who is also self-employed and free to roam the earth on his own terms. Our first stop is Salem, Oregon. He grew up there, but I’ve never been. I’m excited to see it, but we’ll be there less than day before taking off on a drive through Oregon and California en route to Reno, Nevada.

We’re going to play in a bridge tournament there with a few of the other under-30 players in the American Contract Bridge League. There aren’t many of us. You and your friends may not play bridge, but I’m sure all your grandparents love the game.

Between bridge hands, I’m hoping to make $100 last as long as possible in the casinos. I’ll be sure to report back on my success or failure in that regard when the time comes.

Reno is just the start of what is shaping up to be a whirlwind year of new places and faces for me, and I really can’t wait to get on with it.

I’m too young to have regrets, but I have always regretted how little traveling I did during and after college. I was so anxious to be an adult that I took summer classes, worked full time, graduated early, and bought a house, all before I could legally drink. Those “achievements” meant that I’d never do the backpacking across Europe thing, or the two week cross country drive, or any of the other adventures my friends were having while I was working all the time to pay for the life I thought I wanted. Luckily, being young means that I don’t have to regret this forever.

I’m cutting back on responsibilities and picking up on adventure, reclaiming my time, and stepping out of what you might call my comfort zone. But that term doesn’t work for me, because offices and sleep deprivation and unrealized wishes were never all that comfortable for me. Until recently, I also wasn’t comfortable with the idea of leaving it all behind. After all, it’s a big risk. Credit card debt is my biggest fear — so you see how giving up a salary made this a difficult decision for me. But it was definitely the right decision.

It will be so wonderful to write about things I’ve done instead of the things I want to do.