Today is my birthday and instead of spending this evening with friends, I am cocooning and making the last changes before sharing this blog with the people I know.

Might sound like a weird anti-social way to celebrate, but it is actually the first birthday in a very long time I’m not traveling. You don’t need to know me very well to understand the fact that THIS saddens me profoundly. Also, you need to know me a bit to recognize that I sometimes exaggerate…  just for the sake of emphasis, wink wink.

Leaving the joke aside, I did travel a lot this year, to the point I started feeling embarrassed about sharing my travels and photos on Facebook simply because I feared people will more likely be jealous than inspired.

Visiting 10 countries in one year is definitely normal for someone infected with the travel bug, but on the other hand, not everyone is able to understand there is a price to pay for every choice. Yes, the fact that I felt the need to continuously be moving required so many sacrifices. The lessons, however, were so delicious, and definitely worth mentioning- even on my birthday.

Probably the most important lesson traveling gave me is this one: Whether you think you can or you think you can’t – you are right! It might sound cliché but I’ve met so many people along the way just living the dream.

I always believed in my dreams therefore at the beginning of 2018 I made an experiment and implemented the art of manifesting in my life. I remember this so clearly, it was January, I had no travel plans for the coming year but told all my friends and family that I want to travel to 7 different countries in 2018.

Working a 9-5 job and not having enough vacation days, everyone responded I should set more attainable travel goals and to stop living in a bubble made of illusions.

Well, guess what, it’s October, I visited 8 countries and I still have 2 destinations to visit until 2018 ends. No, I did not win any lottery (but if you want to build up your travel fund, I have some tips for you) and I’m definitely not able to teleport myself to another place. But once I was specific, I knew what had to be done.

It might have started as an experiment, but I have no doubt now that getting clear about what you want is actually the only key to making things happen.

We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down. (Kurt Vonnegut)

Those wings can be our memories and our creativity. When we travel we are so anchored in the present and we have more freedom than ever to literally choose the path we’re going.

Once your wings are there, your life will never look the same.

Right now, I’m taking another challenge and hope I’ll be able to share it with you in one year… in fact, let’s do this challenge together!

Warmest,

Claudia