I am by nature a wanderer! I have always had an insatiable curiosity.
The Wanderer was my line name when I pledged my sorority!
I could never do like the old people say and keep my butt at home.
My mother always encouraged my curiosity.
There wasn’t a camp or activity that she didn’t put me in, if I was interested.
So, I didn’t know boundaries. . .
Sure, I knew not to get in the car or accept candy from strangers. . .I’m an 80s kid. We saw the horror stories play out on TV.
But the world was and has always been open to me.
And so I traveled extensively.
By the time I was in law school, I had studied abroad in Germany, France and Spain,
I was a Rhodes Scholar finalist.
I had Eurorailed throughout eastern and western Europe. I had explored Africa. And the more I saw of the world, the more I wanted to experience.
And so, when my first daughter was born, I thought nothing of taking her abroad with me. I wanted her to see the world as well. We lived in Ethiopia and Indonesia. We vacationed throughout Africa and Asia.
After I lost her my grief was so immense that for awhile I didn’t travel. The spark was gone because i was lost in my own grief.
Once I accepted that grief would be my constant companion but alongside it lived the most precious and beautiful memories of my first born Natalia, grief became my super power and I decide that I had to live and live well for both of us.
And so I did.
And then my beautiful and sweet Baby Ruth was born and I knew that every minute with her is a blessing and I didn’t want to waste a second being unhappy and so I took an inventory of what was working in my life and what wasn’t.
I loved the Bay area where we lived, but I didn’t love the cost of living or the 10 hour work days or the racism. I HATED my job! I loathed the arrogance and entitlement of many of the men I worked with. I wanted to spend more my daughter. I wanted to travel. I wanted an affordable life.
And so I walked away and my baby and I began the adventure that we are on now.
Was I scared? YES
Did I worry? YES
But the status quo was NOT working for me. And so I kept on walking.
And IT HAS BEEN AMAZING!
I have absolutely no regrets. I don’t stress the future. I just embrace the here and now.
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