The Value of Life Experience

A few months ago, I realized my current projects were finishing up around the time that my apartment lease was ending. I had been planning a trip to Europe with a friend after she finished up her internship in France, but she was no longer able to do the trip.

I was disappointed, but I figured we'd do it another time, although it would be harder with full-time careers and the mounting responsibilities that come with age.

I was working part-time as a nanny, and part-time as an editorial and marketing intern for W. W. Norton, as well as freelancing, and applying to jobs for when my internship was over. It was an incredibly busy and frustrating time as rejection after rejection rolled in, and sometimes no word ever came about the applications I spent hours on. I felt like I was improving with each interview and editing test, and getting closer and closer to the full-time position that I was searching for, but nothing was panning out.

I was also noticing a pattern in my life. It seemed like everyone was talking about how much they wished they had traveled before starting full-time work in their fields. It's a tricky time in life. There's so much pressure to get the perfect job immediately, and know how to have good work-life balance, and not freak out about the future. Sometimes you have a lot of time, sometimes you don't. You have some money, but not much. There's so much you still want to see and do, but you don't know when you ever will.

I thought long and hard about it, and decided to move back to my parents' house temporarily to save money once my apartment contract was up, and then embark on a month-and-a-half journey through Europe.

My trip was incredibly difficult, stressful, fun, exciting, and empowering. Some things went well, some went not-so-well. I'm grateful for my research skills, because I avoided a lot of mishaps by being incredibly prepared. I learned so much and saw some incredible things. I gained some killer calves and read at a rate of one and a half books every two days. This world is so beautiful, and the people in it are so wonderful, and I'm so happy to have experienced as much of this earth as I have.

I come from a place of incredible privilege to have been able to do this, and I'm incredibly grateful for the chance to see the world without it becoming an immense financial burden. I'm grateful for my body's ability to handle a lot of walking and a little sleep. I'm grateful for everything that went right, and everything that got better when it went wrong. I'm grateful that I was able to be safe and return home successfully.

I can't imagine ever regretting seizing this opportunity to grow, explore, expand my views, meet people, and learn how capable I am. As proud as I am of it, my resume is not what defines me, and I've returned with a renewed vigor for job-applying. I'm so excited to see where this career takes me.

Everything happens for a reason. Opportunities come to you so that you can seize them! :)

<3 Ashley