Travelin' Tuesdays - One

Hayley and travel partner Avery, relaxing in the park next to the Eifflel Tower.
Hayley notes, "The tower may be a little cliche, but it truly is beautiful in person".

"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living" -- Miriam Beard

Last night I went out to dinner with my bff Hayley, who just happened to be in town visiting her sister. Sitting on the back patio of Handlebar, we exchanged stories concerning the latest happenings in our lives. Hayley's contribution to the conversation mostly revolved around her recent three week trip to western Europe. The length of her trip enabled her to visit numerous countries. As she talked, she recounted memories of the beautiful scenery, helpful people and delicious food she encountered. Needless to say I was a bit jealous!

Previous to this conversation, I had been thinking a lot about traveling. In the last six years traveling has been an important part of my life. Traveling has opened my eyes to the variety of ways one can live out their life on this fascinating diverse planet. It has challenged the cultural norms I had come to accept as truth, and broadened my perspective to the fact that there isn't one way of doing things, only countless possibilities.  It has also reminded me that no matter where I live, my personal baggage will follow. Just because I've changed the scenery, doesn't mean I'll become a completely different person. 

As I continue to explore who I am and how I would like to live out my short life on this planet, I think traveling has to continue to be apart of that journey. It's an important part of  my growth and development as an adult, and continuing to get outside of my comfort zone. 

Therefore, I'm officially making Tuesdays "Travelin' Tuesdays" on Underlined and Bold. Each Tuesday I will blog about something travel related. Content will include reflections and photos of my own travel experiences, photos and reflections of my friend's and family's travel experiences, my personal future travel plans, notable websites, blogs and articles that provide useful tips and inspire my inner traveler. If you have something worthwhile to contribute to "Travelin' Tuesdays" please e-mail me at smithabigail50@gmail.com. I would love to feature your thoughts and photos!

Hope everyone is having a great week thus far!

--Abigail

*Note: A big thanks to Hayley Leventhal for inspiring the content of this post!