And so it begins!
Hello all! Andrea here and I am currently sitting in the Fort Lauderdale airport as I type. So far life on the road is hard! I just ate a Steak N Shake burger and now I have to wait about 5 hours to board our flight and all I want to do is take a nap! UGH. Talk about a bad day!
Our journey today begins in Lima, Peru and it's ironic because in 2014 this is the place that changed our lives. Peru holds a special place in our hearts for multiple reasons. The first reason being is this is the place where I had an severe allergic reaction to some sort of nut and almost died. But it made me realize even more that you only get one shot at life and you better tell the people you love you love them, do things with 100%, and make each day count! This is also the place where our dream of traveling world was created. Jackie and I did a four day trek in the Andes Mountains and as we took a break sitting overlooking the scenery of the Andes Mountains while drinking our Coca tea we discussed what life would be like if we quit our jobs and could travel the world for a year. We couldn't' come up with a reason to not do it and we never felt more compelled to do something in our whole entire lives! So when people ask me "what made you want to do this?" It's hard for me to answer. It's like answering "why did you decide to have kids?" You don't have a definite answer but you feel it in your soul. Well after our Peru trip, our souls were set on fire and we were on a mission to make this dream into our reality.
Now I'm sure you're wondering how the name "Halcyon Souls" came about? Well the answer is simple. After over two years of saying "Jackie I am going to start a blog for our RTW trip!" After searching and contemplating name after name, it all came down to a moment in the car listening to a song called "Halcyon Days," by Two Gallants. I turned to my boyfriend and asked him what the word "Halcyon" meant. He had no idea so we of course, googled it! And what do you know! It was a match and fit perfect! So I texted Jackie and Maria and they were on board with the name! And BOOM! The rest is history!
So here we are today, about to embark on an adventure of a life time. As I sit and type this it still doesn't seem real. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that we are about to do the unheard of. After over two years of working two jobs and balancing grad school and work, I am a jobless loser about to travel the world with two of my friends! And to this day, I still feel my soul on fire and I feel just as passionate about this dream as I did the day we created it! So I encourage anyone who is dreaming BIG to just do it or at least be passionate about something in your life! Because being on the other side of all of this, I so far, don't regret any of this! (YOLO!) Now, I don't know what the next days and months will be like or how this journey will change me as a person, but I am excited to find out. I'm excited to be able to wake up each day and explore the world around me, check items off my bucket list, and immerse myself in other cultures. And I encourage you all to do the same! Wake up and kick ass no matter what you're doing!
I would be lying if I told you we were able to do this all on our own but all three of us agree that we would be no where without the support, love, and encouragement of our family and friends back home. You guys were the ones that when we first told you about this pipe dream, encouraged us to pursue it. You were the ones that when doubt set in our minds, gave us a pep talk to keep going and to never give up. And you were the ones that made leaving home the hardest. We can't thank you all in one post or hug but I hope you continue to follow us and cheer us on from afar! We will definitely be keeping you all in our hearts as we tackle this mammoth of a dream! Thanks again you guys! Now we are off to catch our flight! FIRST DESTINATION: LIMA, PERU!
Yes!! Finally! Try to keep your head up during such a rough time �� Great post, Andrea. Can't wait to read more.
ReplyDeleteHave a pisco sour for me! Loved Lima! x
ReplyDeleteLove love love this. Be safe, be careful, be awesome!
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