Coming Home After Something I’ll Always Remember

I’m finally home!

I say that with enthusiasm because it was a wild journey getting back here to Los Angeles. After being away for almost a month, I was more than ready to get back to my own space, my own routines, and my version of normal.

I have so many stories from this trip, and there are a lot of places I went that I haven’t even mentioned here. Some of those stories I’ll probably share eventually, and some I’d rather keep private. Not every part of a trip has to make it onto the internet.

So this isn’t going to be a play-by-play of everything that happened. It’s more of a look back at the trip, what I experienced, and what I’ve been thinking about since coming home.

Because looking back, I’m really glad I went.

I spent so much time before this trip worrying about everything that could go wrong. I planned, overthought, prepared, and probably created a lot more anxiety for myself than I needed to.

Then I actually went.

And for the most part, it was nothing like the version I had built up in my head.

Starting in Romania

I started my journey in Romania with friends, which couldn’t have been more special.

We were in Transylvania for our friend’s wedding, which was held at a castle near Sighișoara.

Yes, a castle!

We got dressed up, danced and mingled the whole night, and ate delicious food. Being there with friends in a completely new place was such a cool way to start the trip.

We also went to Bran Castle and took a guided tour, which ended up being one of my favorite parts of Romania.

I’ve always been a history buff, so getting to walk through an actual castle and learn about its past was right up my alley. And then there’s the whole Dracula connection.

Dracula has always intrigued me, so getting to see the castle in person was pretty amazing.

What made it even better was getting to experience it with my friends. We were taking pictures, listening to the tour, looking around, and making comments to each other the entire time.

After months of talking about this trip, I was actually there.

Then There Was Italy

Then it was off to Italy—my favorite place on earth.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love it there. Staying in the hilltop town of Panicale in Umbria was especially special. The views were spectacular, the town was quiet, and I had some of the very best food.

My best friend and I spent a lot of time getting in the car and exploring. We drove to Florence, Rome, Siena, San Gimignano, Deruta, Pisa, and several other places along the way.

We walked through historic towns, admired incredible art and architecture, shopped, ate, and tried to take advantage of every opportunity we had to see something new.

I loved being surrounded by so much history. There were so many moments when I stopped and thought about how I was actually standing in places I had read about or seen pictures of for years.

And, of course, there was food.

So. Much. Food.

We ate pasta, pizza, gelato, pastries, sandwiches, and probably more than I can remember at this point. I loved all of it.

Coming Back to Reality

And then, just like that, it was time to come home.

For months, this trip was something I talked about, planned, worried about, and wondered if I was really going to do.

Then suddenly, it was over.

I was back in Los Angeles. Back in my room. Back with my dog. Back to my routine.

I’m happy to have my own bed again. I’m happy to have my space. And I’m happy to have my alone time.

There’s something really comforting about being back in your own environment after being away for that long. My things are where I left them. I can put on comfortable clothes, turn on my fan, and just exist for a little while.

It feels good.

But at the same time, coming home has felt a little strange because I feel like I’m not exactly the same person who left.

What the Trip Made Me Realize

I’m still figuring this part out.

The trip gave me a glimpse of a different kind of life. Not a perfect life, and definitely not one without stress or exhaustion, but one where I was experiencing more, getting out of my usual routines, seeing new places, learning new things, and actually feeling excited about what was happening.

And I liked that.

I could be overwhelmed and still be having an incredible day. I could be exhausted and still be excited about where I was. Both things could be true at the same time.

It made me think about the things I’ve gotten comfortable with that I don’t necessarily want to stay comfortable with.

I don’t have some big plan figured out now that I’m home. I’m not suddenly going to change my entire life because I went to Europe for a few weeks.

But I do think something changed for me.

I know I want more experiences. More adventure. More reasons to get excited about what’s happening in my life. I also realized there are things I want to work on within myself.

I feel like I needed to actually step outside of my everyday life to realize that.

I’m still looking through pictures. I’m still remembering little moments that I didn’t fully appreciate until I got home. I’m still adjusting to being back.

And I’m okay with letting myself miss it. I know I’ll be back someday.

What is one thing you want to experience more of?

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” — Anita Desai