I 100% would not have seen myself doing what I’ve done if you asked me about my future plans a year ago. I knew I wanted to travel, but I didn’t expect to this extent. The distance I covered and the knowledge I learned both surprised me. A good surprise of course. I’ve thought of new ideas and developed a better sense of self since my embarkment eleven months ago.

It wasn’t always a great time, however.

I found myself very lonely sometimes. Since I was traveling alone, I basically had a fresh start and it’s very difficult to make true friends while on the move. Conversations can sometimes be superficial and forgettable. There’s a threshold within conversations that must be strategically broken to truly talk to and learn about someone.

I sometimes felt overwhelmed and completely lost. Language barriers had me trapped in my head and didn’t allow me to do one of the most necessary human functions: to express oneself. I never realized how important it is to say what you really want to say. The worst was trying to sympathize with people. There’s a difference between “I feel for you” and “I’m sorry”. The latter was all I knew how to respond with. I felt like a toddler having people stop the discussion in their native tongue to explain to me what was happening.

Having no data whatsoever made physically traveling a ton more difficult. In one instance, I had searched around Barcelona looking for my hostel, carrying all my belongings in a backpack and duffel bag, only to find after an hour of walking, I had been going in the complete opposite direction.

Additionally, not having anyone to rely on took a toll on me for sure. My MP3 player was my pal throughout it all, however, it’s not the same. Even stupid conversations with friends were missed dearly. The ones where you can truly let go and just speak, especially on bus rides.

Yet, I wouldn’t want to change a thing. It sounds cliche, but I did learn from all the mistakes and misfortunes that occurred. I know more about traversing through those tough situations now. I know that there’s often a good outcome to things. And that, of course, cool heads prevail. 😎

I’ve now never wanted to learn a language more. I practice Spanish daily and have even changed all the text on my phone to Spanish. Although, in the meantime, I’ve found there’s a universal language. One spoke with the hands, face, and tone rather than actual words. A reminder: a smile is the best way to introduce yourself.

I still walked away with some close friends I can’t wait to see again. Maybe all the trivial discussions I had with others were only to help these individuals stand out.

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Some of my favorite memories include:

• Running around Ribadesella, Spain for the New Years Run
• Climbing Mt. Blanca in Colorado
• Raising the five “pitsky” puppies in New Mexico
• Helping Francisco with all the cattle in Spain
• Celebrating Fasnacht in Bern
• Spending weekends with Grandpa and Evy in Salem
• Having my family visit me in Ireland
• Running to catch trains in France
• Working the Greenville farmers market in South Carolina
• Visiting John K. in Texas
• Wandering around the El Raval neighborhood in Barcelona
• Swimming in frigid waters in western Ireland
• Chatting with Emma from across the Atlantic sea
• Meeting amazing people throughout all my travels

(I could go on forever)

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Recommendations for anyone looking to do something similar:

Work At Multiple Farms – One farm isn’t going to give you all the answers to your questions. Embarking to other farms allows you to begin to have a perspective. You’ll find that maybe one way of doing something is more practical or efficient than how you were taught. Some may sell their harvest to restaurants, while others focus more on farmer’s market sales.

Plus, at least in my opinion, I would get bored from staying in one place for so long. I might’ve even gotten annoyed with the people I was surrounded by. New and unique people can teach you different and exciting things. Hopping from farm to farm also makes it easier to visit more attractions and sites that would be too far from another farm. You can really become acquainted with the many “areas” you are living in.

Diversify your intellect.

Put Yourself Out There – I had so many superficial conversations that I can’t remember a single individual one; they sort of all blend together. I do, however, remember the ones where we broke the same boring mold when we conversed. Be original and be yourself. Let the side of yourself you may keep hidden from people out. If you know people are going into town on their day off, maybe ask to join them. If you’re at a hostel, you might only know this person for the night, so don’t be afraid to open up.

It’s okay to be a little naive. No one expects you to know everything. It takes quite some courage to admit you don’t know something. Be brave.

Do what YOU want to do, not what you think others would expect you to do. Do the unexpected.

Spend Some Time Alone – Equally as important as socializing is time dedicated to self-reflection. Take walks around the town, work in the garden alone, eat alone at a restaurant, etc. Give some time to yourself to think. Really think about what you are doing instead of going through the motions. Just like with other people, be honest with yourself.

Solitude can sometimes be the best companion if you allow it to be.

Respect and Learn Other Cultures – If you want to make the most of everything, you have to be open to new things: Food, celebrations, household customs, etc. If you don’t agree with something, of course, that’s okay, but you’re in someone else’s home, so respect that. Don’t be afraid to try to speak the native tongue of the land, people enjoy seeing people learning their culture.

Expand your pallet while traveling. It’s unlikely you’ll be eating these foods, or at least this well prepared, anywhere else than where they are birthed from. Even if you don’t normally like a type of food, try it again.

Take part in as many celebrations or festivals as possible. Sitting on your phone while the parade is going through town won’t fulfill anything.

Don’t think of these things as obstacles to be overcome. They are new avenues to be enjoyed.

Be Easy-Going – If you don’t take things too seriously and think with a cool head, everything will be okay! I’ve missed trains and buses and felt like my entire world is crumbling, but it always works out. Strangers are more understanding than people realize. I’ve relied heavily on random individuals and often, they’ve helped me more than they knew. I, too, have stepped in to help many people as best as I can. Murphy’s law is quite accurate, so be prepared.

Also, be open to having your plans change. Some of my best adventures happened when I did something spontaneous. I often took trips to nearby towns without planning out anything ahead.

Take a step back and realize life isn’t all that serious.

Anyone can do something like this. It’s not super hard, yet it’s not easy. You’ll get whatever you give. Give it everything and you’ll have an amazingly unique experience.

After everything I want to thank everyone at Bio Way Farm (JV, Chris, Hunter, Tyler, Brooks) Joann, Aaron, Liza, Holly, Grandpa & Evy, Yoshi + Nico, Daniel, Jen, Asa, everyone that gave me a ride, The Aramburus, the Iryo lady, Luka, Claudia & Timothee, Emma & Ben, Vadim, Vince, Colin, Matt & Leonie, The Biglers, Fergel & Manu, Nessa, Pia, Paula, Marta, Selene, Nicola, Priscilla, every person that cooked me a meal, every dog I pet, Evelyn + Nadia, John, Joey, Dave, Emma, The Millers, The Arkins, Soca, Mom and Dad, and Johnny.

✌