Ok, so I did the typical thing right after college. I strapped on a backpack and ran off to Europe.

I’m sure many of you are already rolling your eyes, but I assure you my experience was nothing like EuroTrip. Quite the opposite, I ran off to Europe with the sole intention of not making any plans. I knew when I had to be on a plane and that was about it.

You see, the last couple of years that I was in school I was an absolute nervous wreck. Anxiety over past disasters and fear of the unknown had taken over my mind and body like white on rice. I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t happy, and panic attacks became a common phenomenon my last semester. I was absolutely petrified of the future, but worse, I was petrified of repeating my past.

I had no plans. I didn’t have a job lined up,the only action my bank account was seeing was alcohol and cigarette charges, and I had absolutely no idea what was going on in my own life.

So I went to Europe without even knowing where I would be sleeping in order to learn that life had a way of figuring itself out. I went to Ireland, Italy, and Spain. I contacted people that I knew and told them I would be dropping  by (they, of course, either thought I was insane or that I was brilliant) and I lived out of a tiny backpack for a month. Amidst the adventures and misadventures, this is what I learned.

We don’t need so much stuff.

We don’t need iPods, cell phones, the latest new clothes, or tons of money. All we need are bare necessities. I learned that I could actually live comfortably off of very little, as in whatever I could fit in my backpack. This was reinforced when I visited an old college roommate who happens to be a nun in Spain. These religious led simple happy lives, lived only off of what they absolutely needed, and made sure they got in their quiet meditation time where it was just them and God.

If I could live simply for a month then why couldn’t I always do it? This concept has actually helped me save a ton of money and led to donating half of my stuff to charity.

It’s better not to know what’s going to happen.

While I was in Rome I hadn’t made any travel plans. I didn’t even read a guide book before I landed and the only place I knew how to get to was the Vatican. This left room for spontaneousness and surprises, which included being 2 ft. away from the Pope, finding my favorite restaurant, eating some freakin’ awesome gelato, learning the plural form of Italian words, having a map of an awesome city ingrained in my brain for life, exhibitionist neighbors who loved to be naked, watching World Cup matches, accidentally walking into the middle of a communist protest, and dancing in the streets with Rastafarians.

The point is that our lives would be pretty boring if we knew that 5 years from now we would land the perfect job, find the love of our lives, and live happily ever after. If we knew every twist and turn life would throw at us it’s like we would just be sitting around waiting for something to happen.

Life has a way of figuring itself out.

No, I’m not referring to fate, I’m more referring to the adaptation abilities of people. When we need to get stuff done, we do it. When we need to survive, we do it.  Half the time we don’t even realize that we are doing exactly what we need to do.

We don’t need to plan out every aspect of our lives. I mean sure, some plans would be nice, but we need to trust our own abilities more often.

You don’t need to do something crazy to feel alive.

You just need to be present.

I used to revolve my life over what crazy stories I would be telling my grandkids. While I have got quite a few, this trip made me realize that I don’t need stories, I just need to be fully present in whatever it is that I do. Something simple like seeing the sunrise in Ireland was enough to make me realize that life was awesome. It made me grateful to be alive so that I could see a beautiful thing.

Life goes on.

Time heals all wounds. Total cliche, but very true.

Two years prior to this trip I was an absolute mess. I was an emotional wreck who had been brutally hurt by others and lost sight of myself.  A year before the trip I had officially let past experiences take over my life. I was cold, I was bitter, and I was swearing off any emotions as a means of survival. Six months prior to this trip I was so physically ill I had to leave school. One month prior to this trip I had just graduated from college and was freaked out by the drastic changes that were about to occur.

Then, in the blink of an eye and with a strange twist of fate, I was running around some of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Then I started to run my own business and make some extra money. Then I started putting my health first.  Then I got my first real world job in the middle of a terrible economy. Then I reconnected with old friends and made new ones. Then I started getting my life together and the anxiety stopped. Then I actually started getting my finances in order. Then I started this blog so I could reach out to others who were feeling the same way.

Now I’m ready to be emotionally invested again. I’m ready to take the next steps toward financial freedom and independence. But most of all I’m grateful for what I have.

And that’s what I learned in Europe.

Now as for some entertainment, here is a video where my brother and I are completely sleep deprived and lost in Rome. Excuse the bad grammar is it was difficult to come up with coherent sentences in my state of exhaustion.

And whiskey drinking music in Ireland!

You can also see more pictures from my trip on my Flckr page.

Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a freelance writer and language instructor based out of Miami, Florida. She has been writing professionally since 2009 and holds a degree in English Literature from Ave Maria University. Amanda Abella is available for freelance work, why not hire her?

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