G'day mates!

So my blogging adventure has officially begun. I’ve toyed with the idea of blogging for quite some time now and have finally decided to sit down and make it happen, so here it is :)

This fall I moved back to my small hometown outside of Philadelphia after spending the past year working in Sydney, Australia. It was not until I moved home that I realized my recent path of life has been not so traditional.

The first twenty years of my life were reasonably predictable. After high school, I packed up my bags and moved away for college. Though I was only 15 miles away, the small distance still allowed my transformation to begin. Growing up, I was petrified of downtown Philadelphia. The people and places that looked ohhh so different than my polished neighborhood terrified me. It’s funny how my interests are the exact opposite now - I crave visiting new places and meeting new people.

While studying at St. Joseph’s University, I began to head into the city more frequently and I discovered a love for exploring unfamiliar sceneries. This newfound passion encouraged me to hop over the Atlantic ocean and study food & wine abroad in Florence, Italy during my Junior year. I visited nine countries during those four months and was infected by a lifelong bug... the travel bug. After arriving back in America, I felt unsettled, though I was back home in my comfortable surroundings. I spent most of my free time during that spring semester pinning beautiful destinations on Pinterest and dreaming of my future travels.

That summer, my three best friends and I filled my electric blue Chevy HHR with our belongings and road-tripped across America, ultimately ending up in Santa Barbara, California. I landed an internship at a successful skin care start-up - the Grapeseed Company - where I learned the importance of doing what you love for your profession. We spent our weekends driving up and down the PCH, mesmerized by the California coastline, visiting an array of towns. I quickly realized that traveling was not just a hobby, but a full-on obsession that needed upkeep.

I spent two amazing summers living in California, yet upon graduation, I was unsure if that’s where I wanted to be. I sought something different. I yearned for a land farther away... the land down under. Last September, I said see ya later to my tepid life at home and ventured into the unknown. I figured that in the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take, and boyyyy was I glad to have taken that risk. Australia was a dream world for me and my experience surpassed my expectations. Working and traveling on the other side of the world allowed me to unlock the fullness of my life.

After being back home for a little over a month, I’ve had some time to contemplate my decisions these past few years and have outlined my future goals. I’ve noticed that no matter where life leads me, I am always seeking happiness. I don’t know where in the world I will end up or what I will be doing, but I am certain that I’ll be following my bliss.

Please join me on my journey and learn some fun and useful tips about the stuff that makes me happy, and thus, what my life is primarily comprised of... traveling, eating yummy food, hiking/staying fit, and trying out beauty products from unique brands around the world.

xx Kathryn