"It turned into a nine-month journey: Southern Spain, England, Montenegro, and back to Spain. On paper, it looked like a dream: beaches, new cities, new experiences. But in reality, it included long stretches of loneliness and the ache of watching my peers reach traditional milestones I hadn't. Along the way, I chased meaning. I questioned my choices during a cold December in London, where the sun set daily at 3 p.m.,"
"I wanted to live in Spain long-term. While abroad, I began the process of applying for EU citizenship by descent, reviewing old documents of my grandparents and great-grandparents who were born in Poland. As I researched, I worried I was reducing my ancestors to data points. I tried imagining them as real people. They had fled Europe to escape persecution as Jews, and I was trying to return. For what?"
A 37-year-old spent a year traveling instead of following a traditional path, converting a planned six-week remote work trip into a nine-month journey across Spain, England, and Montenegro. The itinerary included the Mediterranean coast and southern Spain, balanced by long stretches of loneliness and the ache of watching peers hit conventional milestones. The traveler pursued meaning during difficult episodes such as a dark December in London and a national blackout in Spain. Family connections provided support, and efforts to apply for EU citizenship by descent prompted reflection on ancestors who fled persecution and questions about belonging and purpose.
Read at Business Insider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]