“..but that’s not how it used to be…”

It’s been a tough week, getting ready to leave. Although traveling is not new to me, I am surprised at how mentally unprepared I am to leave.

Why is it so hard this time? Maybe it’s old age. But I’m thinking it might have something to do with the fact that this time, I’m leaving a relationship at home. I started dating my now-boyfriend when I returned from South America two years ago. Two months later, I was supposed to leave for an English teaching job in Korea. I was torn between the traveling plans I had made and this completely new thing called love that I hadn’t even believed in before.

What did I do? The only thing I felt I could do. I’ve never been the type of girl to put my life on hold for a guy. And so, off I went. After a few months of teaching the overworked, overachieving youth of Korea and surviving off of kimchi and Korean bbq, I was ready to come home. I used to think of home as a place where I could recharge and get ready to launch my next adventure. Coming home to my boyfriend – and actually staying home – gave the idea of home a whole new meaning.

Now that I’m finally heading out on the road again, I’m finding this whole up-and-leaving thing isn’t as easy as it used to be. I blame it on a little thing called putting down roots that I used to swear I’d never do.

A lot of people don’t travel because they think it’s hard to leave home. Of course it’s hard. It’s only easy if you’re not leaving anything behind. But just because it’s hard doesn’t mean you stay home.

So I’m pushing myself forward, propelling myself into this next, life-changing chapter and stockpiling my boyfriend with an arsenal of calling cards and Skype credits.