Go on adventures.

For the past couple of years, I have been learning. 

I have learnt lessons hard and fast. I have learnt lessons gently. Gradually.
I have had lessons reveal themselves to me quietly, over time. And I have had lessons demand to be felt, immediately.
Both ways of learning have left their irrefutable mark on the person I am today, and every lesson learnt, has inevitably led me to find pieces of myself; pieces that had been waiting patiently throughout this world, for me to find them.

There is a small island within the Yasawa Islands in Fiji, called Nanuya Lai Lai. I found a piece there.
There is a quiet hour just before the sun rises, on the river Ganges in Varanasi, India. I found a piece there, too.
There is an old three story farmhouse, found an hour just out of Venice, Italy.
There is a little balcony, attached to a pink apartment building, in West Hollywood, Los Angeles.
And there is a rooftop, atop an old converted factory warehouse, in Bushwick, New York.
I found pieces of myself in all of those places. Pieces that I hadn’t even realised I’d been missing, all along.

And for every piece of myself that I found throughout my wanderings over these last two or so years, I have left pieces of my heart behind, in their place. And they will forever remain exactly where I willingly gave them up.
That is what travelling is, to me. An opportunity to find yourself, as well as an opportunity to leave a part of yourself behind.
Travelling also allows you the opportunity to leave a piece of yourself with another wandering soul, whose path happens to cross yours. It can happen so effortlessly, too.
You may just be telling them a story of your childhood, and suddenly- without either of you even realising it- a piece of you is now with them, wherever they may wander. Forever.
That is one of the most beautiful lessons that travelling has taught me, so far.
We are our stories. We are our adventures. We are mistakes made, love found, friendship’s lost, paths crossed, and lessons learned. We are made up of our experiences, and these experiences help us to strip away the layers of bullshit, that we’re all susceptible to believing make us who we are.

Life, is not about how many followers you have on Instagram, how many calories are in what you’re eating, or what god damn car you drive. Life, is about going on adventures that enrich your soul. Life is about giving back, without ever needing to declare it for the sake of exterior gratification. Life, is about being brave enough to never let anyone or anything ever stop you from exploring.
Swim in the ocean as the sun rises. Go on a road trip. Volunteer. Read. Listen. Forgive. Seek.
I want you to know, that there are pieces of yourself waiting to be found. And you won’t find them on any social media site. Trust me, I’ve looked.
Dare to look further. Dare to ask questions. Dare to stand for something more than what lies on the surface. Dig deeper.

I know that when you are alone, you feel it.
I know that whilst you may not ever vocalise it, you feel that you are different from everyone else. That you see the world from a perspective that you can’t quite articulate. That you’ve had specific experiences that you need to share.
You feel that you are here on this earth to make a difference. And I know that you feel completely overwhelmed by it all, too.
Please know that you feel all of this, because you are different. You do see the world from a different perspective. And you are wandering down your life path for a reason. To leave your mark.
And I know how isolating that can feel, too. I know how hopeless your chosen path can seem, at times.
Because I’ve felt it, too.
But what I most adamantly know, is that if you remain open to exploring, to wandering, to going on adventures, you will inevitably find the pieces of yourself that you’ve been needing all along, to help remind you of the reason you are here.

I hope that by reading this, you learn a quiet lesson that will go on to lead you to find a piece of yourself that you’d been waiting to find.
I hope you will always know that I am with you, from here on in. Because I have left a piece of myself with you, now.
I hope that it reminds you that I believe in you. I hope that it reminds you that you can make a difference.

And I hope that it always reminds you to go on some damn adventures.