When Decisions Were Made

Now, how exactly did we decide to leave our home and job to travel for an extended period of time? Somehow, it feels like it was an impulsive decision that had been maturing and brewing in my head for a few years. Does that even make sense? I really believe that a lot of impulsive decisions aren’t all that impulsive. People dream. They imagine. They think about the future and how they want to change their life. For months or even years they ponder on an idea and then, suddenly, for some, there’s that “impulsive” decision. Now don’t get me wrong, it still feels like a crazy and nerve wrecking thing to do but it’s not an overnight decision.

I already traveled as much as I could and aside from working freelance I also had a steady position as a photographer in a company but after 8 years that didn’t cut it anymore for me. I wanted something different, no, I NEEDED something different. The drag, the routine; it was slowly choking me and I knew it was time to make a change. Drastically.

I didn’t just want to get another job or start working as a full-time freelance photographer. It had to be something more substantial. More exciting. Adventurous. I needed a real challenge and the idea of traveling the world had already crossed my mind on numerous occasions but it remained a fantasy until one day I read some articles on the internet about people who made the same decision. From there I started to discover more and more people that made the same change and I realized that it’s not at all an impossible idea. After all, if you don’t try, you’ll never know, right? So, there you have it. The decision was made and... “Oh wait, I have a girlfriend and I want her to go with me…”

When I suggested the idea to her, she stared back at me with a slightly flabbergasted face, followed by a slightly hesitant but then convinced: “Sure, why not?” and that was basically it. She didn’t even need to think about it. So, there and then, the seed was planted and the idea started to grow. Her answer felt like the best present ever. Love you, babe!

So, now here we are, staring into an uncertain but exciting future. The date is set to February of 2018. The plan? Starting off in India and from there we’ll be guided by whatever crosses our path. There’s doubt. There’s excitement. People are telling us it’s an awesome idea and others probably think we’re crazy but every day it feels more and more like the right decision. Time will tell if it will work out for us but we have no expectations or obligations and if it happens that we return home after only a month or two, nothing’s lost…