Finding Your Passion

Obviously, traveling is something I like to do. A lot. Anywhere and any time I can. It’s more than a hobby; it’s a passion. I knew it right away, as soon as I took my first big trip. Actually, I might’ve known sooner. I might have realized it at the first Waffle House we visited on a family vacation, or the first time I gazed out of the car window and realized that nothing looked familiar. And as I got older and traveling became about more than just family road trips and cheap souvenirs, I knew it was fatal. I’d been bitten by the travel bug, and the effects were permanent.

But just because travel is my first love, that doesn’t mean I don’t have other passions. I love reading and writing and listening to embarrassing ’90s pop songs. I like riding my bike and hiking and while I can’t say I love running, I do love the feeling I get after a good run. So, what’s my point? My point is that you should find your passions, all of them, and let them lead you where they will.

It’s easy to let things fall by the wayside. I haven’t traveled as much as I’d like in the last few years, and I can give you a long list of reasons why. But they don’t really matter. What does matter is that I got a little lost; I took a detour on the road of work-and-responsibilities-and running-errands-and-just-feeling-so-tired. It’s a road we all have to travel down at times, but I ignored the side streets of exploring-your-own-backyard and just-having-fun, and the parallel highway of feeding-your-passions.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about things like growing up, and what I want my life to be about. I’ve been considering the things I do too much and the things I don’t do enough. There are some things I need to do more, and some things I’ve started doing (see: running) that I need to continue. It’s all about balance. I tend to fixate on one thing to the exclusion of others. I know that about myself, and I’m trying to fix it.  I’ve never been a New Year’s Resolution type girl. It always made more sense to me to make my resolutions at the real beginning of the year (in my mind, the real new year starts on that first sunny, still-summer day of school, not January 1).

I feel like this time of year is always about change. Even though it’s been a long time since I bought notebooks and pens and slung a backpack filled with school supplies over my shoulder, that rhythm from my first 22 years has stuck with me. For me, September is a time of new beginnings, uncertain challenges, and excitement about the unknown. Whether you’re heading back to school or heading out into the “real world,” don’t forget to bring your passion along with you and let it help direct which roads you explore.

What’s your passion?

(Image via Shutterstock).