My boyfriend<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHaving already been in a long-distance relationship with Jorge since 2015, I’ve grown accustomed to the feeling of being geographically far away from the very people I want to keep in close contact with. I think that experience helped me mentally prepare for the social shift that comes along with living in another country. Nothing really<\/em> prepares you, but that helped.<\/p>\nWe All Have Our Own Paths<\/h3>\n Perhaps one of the most bittersweet parts of nomadically moving around is that you have say goodbye just as often as you meet those same incredible people. I’ve never been good at goodbyes. I get really emotional at the very thought of parting ways from people who I am fond of.<\/p>\n
Even in hindsight, I remain sensitive to the very thought of goodbyes from the past. As I tried writing this post, memories came rushing back from all the good times I enjoyed along the journey thus far and I had to stop several times to process everything going through my head. Maybe it is because the memories are still recent and vivid but I can’t help but feel like I’ve left a part of my heart behind in each of the cities I’ve had the pleasure of visiting. The impact that the people whom I’ve met along the way have had on me is greater in scope than any of them will ever understand.<\/p>\n
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The World Is More Connected Than You May Realize<\/h2>\nWhere Do You Really Belong?<\/h3>\n The more I travel, the more I realize that “home” is less about having a specific spot on the map to throw a label on and more about recognizing where you feel the most happiness and love. Despite the way travelers sometimes feel, no one ever said you have to limit yourself to only having one place to call home. At no point have I ever questioned my sense of belonging to my family and friends back in the United States. Still, as I spend more time in Spain and these other countries that I’m exploring, I fall in love with them more and more. We’re less different than you’d think. I somehow feel connected to each of them, even the ones I clearly don’t<\/em> “belong to.”<\/p>\nTraveling Alone in the Digital Age<\/h3>\n The internet has been immensely helpful to me with keeping in touch with my relatives, close friends, and even acquaintances. I am really grateful to social media for that reason. I have Jorge to keep me company but I would never want to lose ties with any of my friends or family from back at home. Technology is great for that reason; it helps. Our digital lives are so apparent that sometimes I have to purposefully take a step back from my work to do things offline just for a break from all the gadgets. I think this is a challenge that a lot of travel bloggers and digital nomads face. I’ve been making a conscious effort to try to live more in the moment and to be 100% present in my daily life as often as possible.<\/p>\n
Finding a Routine While Living Abroad<\/h3>\n Finally, I’m still adjusting to this whole new life in Spain and I am trying to develop a balanced routine that grants me enough time to work, study, take care of myself, and still find time to pursue to my hobbies and passions. I have a ton of crazy stories from my previous destinations that I can’t wait to share with all of you. I’m determined to share them all with you guys.<\/p>\n
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I’m going to find the time to write everything down while still making the most out of each new day that I have the gift of spending in these incredible countries. I appreciate your patience and understanding in case the order of my posts appears a little wacky for this reason. It would be a pity to omit some of the stories about things that happened just for the sake of keeping everything perfectly chronological. Hope you don’t mind! Looking forward to sharing more of my backpacking and long-term travel memories with you! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
Like it? Pin it!<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There aren’t many experiences I can think of that assist in the process of growing up more than leaving home …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5717],"tags":[5910,5651],"yoast_head":"\n
The Greatest Challenges I\u2019ve Faced While Traveling Alone | The Rocky Safari<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n