I’m not sure if you guys knew this about me, but I’m an introvert. Surprise? I’m an INFJ to be exact. Crowds terrify me. I’m shy – at first. I tend to listen and observe more than I speak – definitely only at first. But once I warm up to someone, good luck getting me to stop talking – then I’m relentless. I’m easily intimated by people, although I don’t think that has as much to do with my introversion as a psychological thing.
So naturally, there’s some cognitive dissonance going on here - I mean in my own mind, at least. Despite my slight introversion, I’ve found myself on the exact opposite side of the world from home, jobless, homeless, and not knowing anyone. WTF? How did I get here? I’m not entirely sure, but here I am.
Full disclosure: I’m kind of freakin’ out here, man. I said farewell to my mom bright and early this morning and hopped on a plane to Queenstown. It’s REAL now. I’m on my own – my safety blanket is currently en route back to ‘Murica. And I’m sitting here in this café – which has great food, in case you were wondering – trying to talk myself down from the ledge. Oh boy, it would be so easy to hop back on the first plane to the States. I’m not going to lie, it’s tempting. I even did a little search on-the-line to see how much a one-way ticket back home costs – it costs a whole lot, as you probably already knew. But I texted my person (shameless self promo: I have free international texts, so send away) and she managed to cool my nerves and give me a little shot of confidence, which she tends to do, and that’s why she’s my girl.
If you hadn’t caught on yet, this “travel journal” of mine is a space where I work things out, because blogging is cheaper than therapy. Ha, amiright? So bear with me while I try to sort out this big, looming question: why am I here?
Well, I l-o-v-e to meet people; I really enjoy cultivating meaningful relationships (but don’t we all?). I live for that shit! (Remember though, I’m an introvert - I do much better connecting with people when we’re one-on-one or in a small group.)
The world – the universe, really – and all that it encompasses – fascinates me. I have an insatiable curiosity to learn about and experience it all. I want to explore every last nook, cranny, and crevice.
I’m a storyteller. This is fuel for my fire, so to speak.
Apparently, I like to shove myself out of my comfort zone and see what happens. I guess it’s my way of finding my place in the beautiful, chaotic mess we call life.
OK, I feel a lot better…for now. I’m back on track with where I need to be in order to not to lose my shit and turn right back around. Time to take a break from staring at the screen and get out and explore. Stay tuned for more freak-outs and adventures from yours truly. Stay wild, stay curious y’all. And come visit me.