It’s About the Journey AND the Destination

Appreciating the little things is the most significant step toward happiness you can take.

I have owned a digital marketing and design business for almost 6 years. Since then, I’ve been able to work from anywhere that had WiFi and my laptop. The majority of those years, though, I spent most of my time in my (overly expensive) apartment working from the couch.

The real reason I started my business was to give myself freedom. I knew that much. At the time, I thought it was just financial freedom. And the freedom to be my own boss. In reality, it was freedom as a whole that I was craving. The freedom that I couldn’t have working 9–5 somewhere, yes. But also the freedom of not having to settle down and live in one place long-term, at least not yet.

It took me 6 years, a divorce, a cancer diagnosis, and a flare-up of my chronic illness to decide: now is the time to use my freedom. Now is the time to adventure.

I decided to become a digital nomad and live in a different city every month. A month would allow me to experience each place a little bit more than I would as a tourist, but not get too comfortable.

So after 6 months of preparing, selling, and donating, I set off. And I spent over 45 hours driving solo across the country toward my first “big stop” — Arizona.

I’d spent 6 months planning for this new lifestyle, knowing my first stop was a cabin on a quaint horse farm with just a bunk-bed and a chair. I couldn’t wait to get there. And it could have been easy for me to treat the 5 days I spent on the road as a means to an end. Arizona: where I can finally start my nomad adventure.

But, after my first day on the road, taking in the sights and sounds, smelling the fresh ~highway~ air, and recognizing the courage it had taken for me to leave everything I knew… I realized adventure is everywhere. Joy is everywhere.⁣

⁣It’s a charcuterie board in a quiet Idaho winery — even though it makes you behind schedule.⁣⁣

It’s muddy footsteps and cool breezes along the shore — even if your white sneakers never recover.⁣⁣

It’s discovering a local wine that has the same name as your grandpa — right when you needed to feel his presence.

It’s spending that extra half hour sipping coffee so you can watch the hummingbirds buzz past.⁣⁣

It’s stained glass windows in an old building — even if that building is the filthy hostel you rented last minute.⁣⁣

It’s fish leaping out of the water at the perfect time — even when ants are crawling up your leg.⁣⁣

It’s singing at the top of your lungs with your arm out the window — knowing you still have 7 hours left of driving that day.⁣⁣

It’s smile-inducing sights. It’s having people to miss. It’s being exhausted from all the work you put in, but suddenly realizing you made one of your dreams happen.⁣⁣

Joy is everywhere. and the same goes for life. It’s so easy to adopt the mindset that we’ll be happy when we get there… When we get that job, when we move, when we meet the right person… And while those things can truly be wonderful, it’s about the journey, too, not just the destination.⁣

The job you don’t like now is teaching you what to look for when you’re seeking another.⁣⁣

The place you’re living in now has its beauty, and trust me you’ll miss some things about it when you’re gone.⁣⁣

And that person? When the person that’s meant for you walks into your life, you’ll be able to appreciate every little beautiful thing about them, too. And you’ll be able to share with them all of the light you collected along the way.⁣

There was joy to be had where I was, and there is joy to be found in all the new places I’ll explore. In my opinion, recognizing the little things is the first step to being truly happy.⁣⁣

So keep your eyes open… I promise there is beauty to be found in each and every day.