It feels like forever since I sat down and spent time writing anything. In reality, it’s only been three months. Even so, it’s the longest I have gone without writing some type of article, post or essay in several years.
Convincing myself to sit down and type again was no easy task. This is not because I didn’t want to write, but because I was nervous to fully jump into writing posts and creating content for Chronically Exploring.
Backstory
I graduated from college this past May, and after five very long years, I felt depleted and completely burned out. I needed a break.
During my final semester, I promised myself that I would take the summer off after I graduated, and I did just that. I am extremely grateful I was able to take this much-needed break. I acknowledge I am very fortunate to have been able to take the summer off to rest and solely focus on healing and trying to improve my chronic illness, as I know this isn’t an option for everyone.
This summer of rest was just what I needed. I had time to recharge and get excited all over again about writing and furthering Chronically Exploring as a business.
The Big Decision
Before graduating, I spent countless hours thinking about what I wanted to do next. This was the first time since I was a senior in high school that I didn’t have the next two or three years planned out. Not knowing what was next or having some sort of plan was a foreign feeling.
With my chronic illness, there are countless aspects of my life that I can’t control. For me, college seemed to be one part of my life where I felt I had more control. I was usually able to create a strong, well-thought-out plan when it came to tackling assignments, essays, planning my course load and path to graduation.
Now that college was coming to an end, I needed to think about what was next. In the back of my head, I could hear the societal voices telling me to look for a full-time job, internship or start looking into graduate school programs.
Even with these voices lingering, an even louder voice pushed through. My heart still told me to take the risk and continue building Chronically Exploring.
I would say 75% of myself was on board with listening to my heart and focusing on Chronically Exploring for the foreseeable future. The other 25% of myself was filled with nauseating worry, thinking about all the what-ifs. What if I put all this time into Chronically Exploring and it is unsuccessful? What if no one wants to read about traveling with a chronic illness?
Taking Flight
Even with these worries, I have reminded myself countless times that if I let my worries get the best of me, there is no way this business will ever be successful. So, here I am, at the beginning of my first fall season without school, ready to commit my time and energy to Chronically Exploring.
I am so grateful you are here to follow along as I take flight into the world of writing about traveling and navigating life with a chronic illness!
Sierra
Departure: College Student →→→→→→→→→→→→→ Arrival: Travel Writer
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