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Travel with Intention


The title of this blog post is probably going to be the name of my new website if the domain name isn't already taken. :)

Yes, I have decided to continue blogging, but not in the same way. At the end of January, while in Chicago for YEB, Cutco's Year end Banquet, I realized that I owe it to the world to be my best self. And part of what makes me who I am is my passion for writing.

To get you up to speed on some of the crazy and wonderful things that have happened over the past few weeks, I'd do my best to bullet-point it:
  • Accepted a new job showing Cutco, hands-down one of the best products on the market when it comes to the kitchen
  • Started serving for Mintahoe, a catering company that's taken me to some of the most exquisite parts of the Twin Cities. Every shift I work I feel like a princess, even if I am pouring wine and bussing tables. Plus, I get paid to spend it with people who are experiencing what they will hopefully reflect on as one of the best days of their lives. Pretty sweet gig, eh?
  • I started interning for a startup called Voices for Rural Resilience, and have an incredible supervisor who has changed my view of what it means to build relationships with people
  • I failed to spend time with any of my classmates in between semesters, and felt like a complete outcast coming to class the first week of classes. I sensed that I had become a completely different person over the past month and wasn't sure how much of that I could comfortably share with my peers
  • I met my life partner. He doesn't know it yet. 
  • I made the gaining of a second sister official by saying it out loud to her
  • I committed to being authentically me and not giving a damn if it makes others laugh, cry, or enraged. I would hope that it instead brings out the best in others and encourages them to take the same risk.
My first scholarly citation!
One of the biggest decisions I made relates to this blog post, which was to remind myself why I write in the first place. If I've been writing for this many years and have not gotten paid for it, then why should the next 100 blog posts be any different? Why should it matter that I make money off of it? I've made it through almost six years of school based off of my writing abilities, constantly applying for scholarships, so there's no reason why my blogging should be put on the back-burner. I'm still traveling, and that's not something I see changing in the foreseeable future. And even if it does, there are still ideas I'll collect along the way worth sharing.

So here's the scoop: 

My travel blog is going to morph a bit. Grow up if you will, from toddler to teenager. You'll see certain blog posts grouped together based on subtopics, all revolving around one theme: traveling with intention. The one theme that has linked all of what I do is learning and exploration. And every time that I travel I feel myself growing as a person, becoming more thoughtful and conscious of my own passion and privilege. But these 'life hacks' aren't meant to stay with me. I know that one of my purposes in life is to share my knowledge and facilitate the formation of powerful networks of incredible people. Which is where the direction of my writing and the organization of my blog can help.
My escape from campus resulted in a morning nap by the river

I travel with intention. And I want to show others how they can too. Even if they don't feel like they can afford it. Or that travel is destined for the rich and famous. We should all have the chance to explore at least once in our life. So through my writing, I want to show you how you can. Because you may discover a part of yourself, a piece of kindling if you will, that needed a breath of air to really light on fire. I'd like to make it my goal to help you make that happen. And do it in the most thoughtful way possible.

Stay tuned!

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