Familiarity

As I march into June, I slowly realize that I don't have any summer plans. I told myself that I wanted to do something simple this year, mainly because I'm being frugal. But as I'm thrust into June, I show up empty-handed. And that scares me. I kept telling myself that summer's so far away! But it's here. It's now. We're 1/4th of the way through June!

I've written a bit about this before, Where do you want to go? I'm happy to report that I took a weekend trip to DC in early April!  The ultimate goal was to see the best cherry blossoms in the whole country! Unfortunately, the weather was drab, and it thunderstormed the night before we were set to hit the tidal basin.


I originally planned to take a solo trip down there myself, stay quietly in a bedroom of an Airbnb, and do some solo expeditions. But, I ultimately got my parents to agree to travel with me. It was fun! They don't really go out exploring on their own, and I think this was a great opportunity for them to push their boundaries (I feel like I'm also calling myself out here...).


Part of me feels like I need to do something. I feel the societal pressure to travel, to make an Instagram post, and to have irrefutable proof that I didn't waste yet another summer. But part of me deeply wonders if this is what I really want or if this is just what I think I should be doing.


After spending tens of hours staring at point redemptions and Google Flights, I find myself subconsciously wanting familiarity. I want to go to Vancouver. Again.


It's familiar, the weather was good, and there's more to see. And solo traveling to a non-English speaking country is honestly a bit daunting. It's a place that I can explore without starting over.


But part of me says there's so much more to see in the world. There are over a THOUSAND UNESCO World Heritage sites. But do I really want to do that?


I think I over-romanticize the concept of traveling for some reason. Part of me also believes that "because I don't have a valid reason to travel, I shouldn't". And it sounds silly, but I feel like I don't really deserve to travel. This time around, I don't have that passion or purpose to go somewhere. And maybe that's ok.


Again, the more I think about it, the more I want to go to Vancouver. But knowing myself, I'd have to make a couple more trips to new locations before I head back.


Maybe I just yearn for the familiarity. 

Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA

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