I got a pocketful of dreams... hasta luego NYC

New York City is my home, the energetic, welcoming urban jungle that has something for everyone, one can find a niche to belong to in this enormous village where more than eight million people dwell.  During a disaster response for the American Red Cross a few years back, I met an elderly woman in the Bronx who was from a small tribe in Western Africa that spoke a distinct dialect that is uncommon in the world, and to know that she has been living in NYC for over twenty years and did not need to learn to speak English made me feel proud of the multiculturalism of the city (and of course I was also amazed at her resilience, ability persevere in a foreign land and hold on to her roots.)

It was not an easy decision to step away from it all, from the life I've built.  I had a career in finance that was challenging, rewarding, and flexible. My relationships with friends, family, colleagues and other wellbeing support folks (healthcare professionals, laundry, personal grooming, etc.) were all located within a ten-mile radius.  I was living with my kind and caring boyfriend of four years; he was up for anything, we enjoyed traveling and doing things together, he is a photo enthusiast like me, and he is probably the best (not by profession) cook that I know. It would have been simple for me to freeze-frame any day in that era and continue to live happily ever after.

A series of things happened within a few years that kept nudging me in this direction.  First, I had a growing list of things around the world that I want to do and places that I wanted to see (become more fluent in Spanish, attend music festivals, visit Iceland, Jordan, Myanmar, etc.)  In addition, several people very near and dear to me passed away due to illness and/or old age. Moreover, the relationship with my partner was expiring, while it was peaceful and comfortable, I didn't see a future with him.  I came to the conclusion that he wasn't the one for me but he could be the perfect match for another person. Lastly, I moved into a new role in the office and I did not enjoy playing office politics and having to choose between meritocracy and legacy nepotism.  I was spending more and more time in meetings (and being pulled into unproductive side conversations, often with hidden agendas) than creating projects and solving problems. And I knew, the company will continue to be there when I move on. It was a difficult decision to part ways with this important component of my life, a career that I diligently cultivated since I finished college.  

In short, I chose to take a break from “normal life” - everyone's version of normalcy is different and I followed my heart.  It was time to immerse myself in passionate Andalusian culture in Sevilla, stroll through the grandiose Siq in Petra, and feel the breeze on my face from within a hot air balloon in Bagan.  I wasn't getting any younger and I can find other means of income later on; if I don't take advantage of this opportunity now, the next chance might be in twenty years, when my future child(ren) are out of the house.  I knew that the hardest part would be to leave my friends and to keep abreast of recent happenings, but in today's world of social media, airplanes, and technology we have numerous ways to keep in touch and it's easy to get together for a quick rendezvous.

I've always loved to travel.  My parents took me on a few local trips and I had school outings when I was young - I remember being tossed around on roller coasters, the thrill of riding on a horse not attached to a carousel, and licking the sticky cotton candy from my fingers.  Then, at eight years old, I got to take my first plane ride to New York City. I was solo, the flight attendants were in charge of me for the next eighteen hours, I roamed around the crew area, visited the pilot in the cockpit, and sat in a big empty window seat in the forward cabin as we approached JFK at night.  The view from the sky over The Big Apple was absolutely mesmerizing. To this day, I still have an instant-photo that was captured the purser on the flight - TWA plastic picture frame and all. In primary school, whenever career day came around, I was most excited to see the staff from the airlines and their presentation, at that age, I wanted to be a flight attendant… the seed to be curious and to be free was sown decades ago.

Before I started this world journey I had already been to more than 50 countries and all 7 continents.  Some of the holidays were rushed and chaotic (once A and I went to Budapest, Prague, Phuket, Bangkok, and Taipei - on an airline fare deal - all within 2 weeks) and I often needed a break from my vacation when I returned to the office.  After many years of practice in researching, planning, and making trips, I learned to make the most of my time and money, because these resources are limited. I want use this platform to share some of my experiences, tips, and advice with you and hopefully you will find them useful.

After about eight months of preparations, with all my possessions packed up in a 5’x5’ storage unit, I was ready to embark on the next phase of my life.  

First stop, Barcelona, Spain.