With 2022 officially here, I’ve gotta say that 2021 has been one hell of a journey. Only this journey, didn’t really involve much vagabonding.

A New age of COVID

2 years ago COVID19 came into existence and in a few months, it will be two years since COVID was labeled a pandemic. While 2020 was by far the shittiest year in decades, 2021 saw the world in some pretty promising progression with a grand semblance of normalcy around the world, from travel to being present at a basketball game….just with a mask and/ or vaccine card. And for the first time in 3 years, I went on my first international trip to Belize with my family, let alone my dad (a heart patient) flew to Hawai’i to be with his son.

While those travel highlights were indeed highlights and breakthroughs in this pandemic world, I truly found my breakthroughs along a journey inward.

“The harder you fall, the higher you bounce”

Theres no shame to say, I have no shame, yes at the beginning of this year I walked away from a toxic relationship here in Hawai’i. One that put me in a very familiar place over a decade ago, DEPRESSION. But another familiar place I was treading into was recovery but this time, I dug even deeper to analyze some deep rooted personal things about me I needed to work on. I mean, anyone who has gone through a hard break up knows that one goes through a real LOW. So while I was down there, I figured I’d go lower to get the most out of some TRUE healing!

It’s been ten months since I stepped out into my own life again and what can I say? Well, there is a lot to say. I was very much prepared to be and feel alone because I knew I needed to be to step back out into this beautiful world again. Alone, striped me down to tears and down to the true emotions I needed to feel to stand back up stronger than ever before. And this is exactly what happened!

Why am I journaling about this on my world travel blog, where people are here to read about travels not about my emotions?

Well number one: No matter how many followers/subscribers I have, I’m a very honest and transparent man, because after all I am human.

Number two: If I am going to come back on screen or on this page and be a content creator, I am going to give it my all. In order to give it my all, I gotta get some sh** off my chest to move forward. Call it shedding weight!

And number three: In a world of social media, hidden displays of true emotions, with smiling faces and sad souls, sometimes we all need someone to relate to who has been broken also.

Not everyday is perfect realizing that it’s okay to feel down. And I acknowledge that the journey still continues for self growth. But I look back at this 2021 and have to say, I have come a long way on my own for true independence in every way. Hell, I became a manager at the same new job I got earlier in the year and I’m killing it (good killing it).

I look forward to everyday to planning travel even if things always seem to go backwards with this pandemic and that is a damn good start before I venture out into the world again. Because before that happens, I want to be sure I am grounded as a person with where I am NOW, no matter what dramatic global circumstances we may be in.

2021 has been a challenging year, but I stand strong and ready for this new year of adventure. And yes there are definitely travel plans for 2022.

Mahalo to all and any of you who have taken the time to read this deep read. I would love to hear your feedback on some of your experiences with this year. Good? Bad? Drop a comment below