Welcome to On•the•Move Musings: a weekly-update-series where I reflect on my time exploring the globe; a place to record all the little details from travel that, despite being so special, my pigeon brain could likely forget; a space to show gratitude for where life’s daydreams have taken me; a few moments to stop and write during the chaos of long term travel. I’ll be posting every Friday to share some good vibes and wanderlust before we head into the weekend!
Hello from Amsterdam
This city is WILD and I’m loving it! I don’t have many photos because a lot of the things you can do here cannot and should not be photographed haha.
Musings
I’ve been reflecting on what traveling solo has taught me so far, and even though I’m only 9 days in, I feel like I’ve already learned so much about myself and my capabilities. Recently I’ve been asking myself a couple questions like where do the messages we tell ourselves come from? How much of what we think about ourselves comes from feedback from others? When you travel solo, you only have yourself, so you really get to know yourself without others’ opinions jumbled in with your own. I realized through taking this trip that I definitely have perceptions of myself that came from outside sources. It’s been amazing and freeing to shed those views and realize I’m not the (sometimes negative) things someone has said about me.
I’m not sure if it’s possible to have that level of self-reflection at home in your day-to-day life, surrounded by all the same people, participating in your normal routine. I can’t recommend taking a solo trip enough. It has already boosted my confidence so much. For example, if you get to a new country and for some reason the data on your phone isn’t working so you can’t access maps to figure out how to get from the bus station to the hostel… it turns out you can do it without internet access after all. If you show up to a new place where you don’t know anyone… it turns out you can quickly make friends and spend days together talking and laughing and exploring. If you get to another new place where you don’t know anyone but you don’t end up meeting anyone… it turns out you can have a blissfully wonderful day alone and not feel lonely.
I have wanted to take a solo trip for years now, and I’m so happy I’m finally doing it. If it’s something you’ve been curious about too and you have the means to make it happen, just go!! You won’t regret it.
Currently Listening To
I just finished listening to a 6-episode podcast series called Your Own Backyard. It’s about the disappearance of Kristin Smart from Cal Poly in May of 1996. This was recommended to me by a former coworker who grew up in the area, remembers seeing billboards about it, and recalls seeing the story on the news and in the papers. It seems quite obvious who was responsible, but it’s still unsolved and her body has never been found. The way law enforcement and the school handle things at the beginning is infuriating– it probably could have been solved early on. The podcast was very well done, and hopefully the case gets closed soon!
The other podcast I’m listening to is also about an unsolved missing person case. The Lady Vanishes is about an Australian schoolteacher, Marian Barter, who hasn’t been seen since 1997. It’s a fascinating story with a lot of strange details and international twists. The investigation is ongoing, and so far they have released 16 episodes, with more coming out as they get more information. There are so many bizarre circumstances. It’s a very interesting podcast that I’d love to discuss if you decide to give it a listen!
In Case You Missed It
Here’s the link to last week’s post that I wrote in Paris:
How to Best Follow my Travel Adventure
Words
“Memories mean more to me than dresses.” –Anne Frank
What’s Next
This weekend I will be in Liverpool for a huge bucket list experience–the reason I’m in Europe at all this month!