This blog started out of the idea “Oh! I work for myself and can work from anywhere! I should write about it!” You may be thinking, “Oh boy, another person trying to do a travel blog.”

And you’re right. I am another person, and I am doing a blog based on my travel. But if that’s all you let this be to you, I think you’re horribly wrong.

I’m more than just another person, just like you are more than just another person, and if any fiber of your being believes in yourself, you should continue reading.

If you knew me in college, I loved writing, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without the support from my readers during that time (thank you all!).

Coming out at a Christian university,

Trying to start a Gay-Straight Alliance at said university,

A letter to my first love.

All mostly wrought out of authenticity about some tough life situation where I found some sort of silver lining and I had to share it.

So as the idea “Oh! I work for myself and can work from anywhere! I should write about it!” began to flourish and I wanted to start this blog, I had to think about would set me apart.

“I love France, should I focus on traveling to France?”

“I’m a coder, should I focus on being a remote developer and those opportunities?”

“I’m gay, should I focus on that?” (yes, I giggle at the thought too)

I started getting discouraged. I’ve always felt this need or desire to be original, and I didn’t know what to do. I have a very real and irrational fear of “following the herd,” resulting in me going out of my way to make sure that I like what I like because I like it and not because some estranged power is telling me to.

I even get uncomfortable with the word “mainstream” because it feels so mainstream.

The dichotomy is real, but with 7.6 billion people currently on this earth, original ideas are nearly impossible.

I was about ready to throw in the towel on this blog when I remembered this quote from Liz Gilbert’s Big Magic (author of Eat, Pray, Love).

“Most things have already been done — but they have not yet been done by you.”

— Liz Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

Just because someone else has (or several others have) already done what you’re looking to do, it doesn’t mean that you can’t continue to pursue the project that you love.

When you are you, when you are authentic, YOU are original. We all each have an incredible authenticity to share with the world. Each of our lives has a message that it wants to share that is already original and unique. My story inspires some in ways that someone else’s can’t, and the same goes for your life inspiring in a way that mine can’t.

I saw [Dave Matthews Band] for the first time ever and I cried because I believed him. He really meant it… and seeing someone mean something breaks your heart because it reminds you of the things YOU mean.

— Natalie Schepman, Joseph, via Instagram

You’re the only one that gets to live your life, with your ambitions and with your loves. Live it.

So as I think about the internet trolls rolling their eyes at “just another travel blog,” I know that restricting this website to just travel or just coding or just gay is futile. I just want to share my story, a story that I hope resonates with you and makes you want to do something a differently today. I just want you to feel a little more empowered than you felt 7 minutes ago.

If so, read more from me!