23 and SElf-employed.

So Why Not Circumnavigate the Globe?

3 continents,

4 countries

and 6 weeks later...

here are my reflections and learning lessons.

On the Other Side of Fear...

I would be lying if I told you that traveling this much is all a dream. The reality is in pursuing any dream, sacrifices need to be made. When I travel, I choose to forgo my sense of stability in order to pursue the unknown and delve deeper into self-development. In the process, constantly uprooting is exhausting, especially while working - a non-negotiable, since it is what makes this lifestyle possible! I am so grateful to have created a life that allows me to work from anywhere, but the price of always being connected feels like a heavy fine some times. It is extremely difficult to remain organized, focused, and disciplined while traveling. Facing unprecedented challenges and uncomfortable situations is unfortunately quite common, and creating routine/stability amidst such uncertainty is a constant learning lesson.

I felt called to share the raw, real reflections on my experiences as a form of introspection and hopefully even inspiration to those who read along.

Home & healing

Going home to New Jersey for the first time in 2 years brought up a lot for me. It’s something that I’ve recently come to terms with, that I feel inherently disconnected from the place I grew up. As a kid, I was constantly misunderstood and bullied, had very few friends, and suffered from hectic anxiety and eating disorders. I am endlessly grateful to my family’s support which helped me to overcome a lot of this trauma. I have always been super close with my parents and grandparents. After my grandparents passed, I avoided going home for the discomfort it brought up. This time, I retunred with the vision to re-write my negative narrative surrounding New Jersey, and ended up diving deep into parts of myself tied to my childhood home. Being away from surf, stimulation and socializing for a moment, and having a break from adulting allowed me the space and time to delve into my creative expression. Growing up, in my isolation from society, I composed music, created works of art, read books etc as forms of therapy. No matter how alone I felt, I could always create. It was so empowering to tap back into these forms of my self-expression that often get pushed aside when I am prioritizing my surfing and building my businesses. Not to mention, it was so nourishing to spend time with my family, eating my parents’ home cooked meals - there is no greater comfort!

In the end, I left New Jersey feeling well-rested and happy. I got to take trips into New York City, run with my dad in the trails behind our house, go to hot yoga, do forest bathing with my mom, and connect deeply with a new friend who’s life exactly mirrors mind. I even got to reconnect with some special friends that have truly been by my side through thick and thin- something I never take for granted. And I got to experience a white Christmas! Something I took for granted for so long but after the last two Christmases in Australian summer, felt very special.

Living La Dolce Vita

Returning home to italy was also so nourishing. Our little mountain home in the Dolomites has always been a refuge for our family, and now more than ever I feel immensely grateful for my Italian hertiage. It’s something I’ve carried with me throughout my entire life, growing up speaking italian and returning to our home there year after year. Now, as I travel the world and encounter Italians all over, I feel a deep-rooted sense of belonging when I spend time with them. No matter how far we are from Italy, being surrounded by people of shared culture is so grounding. I am so proud to come from a country that finds contentment in simplicity, adopts “la dolce vita” mentality of slowing down and seeing beauty in everything, and prioritizes connection with family and friends above all.

Skiing in the Dolomites

It was very empowering to rediscover my aptitude for skiing, finding flow in water that’s frozen- for a change! My father, an expert mountain man, has instilled his lifelong love of adventure and outdoors in me since I was young. Initially, I was a bit scared and doubtful getting back on skiis for the first time in 5 years, but thanks to his endearing encouragement I was able to push past my fears and race down runs with an emboldened sense of confidence. The muscle memory and childhood memories came flooding back, carving lines in the snow as if carving into paths of my memory I forgot existed. This pursuit left me feeling immense satisfaction and gratitude.

Basque Country

Visiting my friends in the Basque Country of Spain was an impulsive, intuitive detour that ended up being a highlight of my trip. Since I started surfing 4 years ago, I’ve always wanted to go to the Basque Country not only for its fabled waves, but for its kind-hearted people that I’ve connected with all around the world. I knew I had to listen to the call to visit Ines, my friend who lives there, because the last time I spontaneously answered her call to travel together I ended up in a remote Indonesian island - what developed into the most beautiful adventure of my year in 2024! Arriving in a place that was completely new to me, I felt so grateful to be welcomed into the open arms of friends who feel like home, no matter how far away I was. This surprise reunion, since our last goodbye in Indonesia just a few months just a few months prior, was well worth the extra travel time. Although it was only a quick trip, I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the new year - going from skiing in the Dolomites on the last day of 2024, to surfing in the Basque Country on the first day of 2025!

Morocco pt. 1

Morocco was next, a trip that I awaited with much anticipation from stories of friends who had visited. The trip started off a bit unexpected, as me and the two good friends I was traveling with were thrown into a confusing situation which we had to tactfully navigate ourselves out of. We learned the downfall of being trusting, open and loving- a predisposition that can sometimes be taken advantage of by people with less-than-pure intentions. It can happen anywhere in the world. It’s a tricky line to dance, finding the balance between open-heartedness and cynicism. While we didn’t want to be closed-off to opportunities, we quickly learned to put our guards up a bit, especially as women in a country with a completely foreign culture. We tried our best to re-write our experience, but for the first week we felt rocky and unstable, mentally and emotionally. We turned to creativity, yoga, and surfing as outlets to release emotion and cultivate inner peace. We ended up surfing some of the longest waves ever, meditating very deeply, and creating some beautiful content - some for clients, and some for the pure joy we all share of capturing life as art.

Morocco pt. 2

The second week of the Morocco trip was a blessing in disguise. To be completely honest, the entire first week, I wanted to leave. I had reached the point in my travels where I was craving to be back in Byron Bay, with my predictable daily routine. I missed my friends, my car, my sense of stability and freedom. After Lina and Anna left, I was pretty much solo-traveling, which as a Western woman in a Muslim country, proved challenging. In the wake of discomfort, I serendipitously united with friends new and old that made me realize that no matter where I am in the world, I am never alone! In their presence, I came to feel a sense of grounding amidst all the chaos. I ended up with a group of inspired individuals hosting a retreat in Imsouane, shadowing their experience to hopefully collaborate to bring my retreats abroad one day. Thanks to our local guide, I was able to join in the surf missions up and down the coast. All together, we discovered new waves and authentic experiences along the roads less traveled.

Morocco pt. 3

The Morocco trip ended up teaching me a lot about myself. Especially during the solo travel, although I was lucky to have many friends around (including a handful of close friends from Bali and Byron), I chose to take some quiet time for myself to process my experience. Towards the end of the trip, I found so much beauty in the discomfort. I pushed myself to explore, even alone, and through the lens of my little iPhone, captured corners of the earth that brought me joy and inspired my community watching from around the world.

Just before I left Morocco, I got to witness and surf an incredible swell that lit up the infamous Anchor point. Watching from the cliff reminded me of swell days on the North Shore of Hawaii or at Uluwatu, where the immense energy of the ocean charges up the humans in a palpable, electrifying way. The following day, I surfed the swell at a spot nearby and finally regained confidence in my surfing again. Prior to that, my anxiety was raging rampantly, which left me out of the water for a few days before I felt stable enough to push myself again. The entire trip, I had been struggling with my heart, which sometimes begins to double beat during intense exertion. The body knows best, and so when it kept happening, I chose to rest and take a break from surfing some of the days. I chalked it up to paddling against the strong current, big crowds, and my underlying anxiety throughout the trip. I was so proud of myself when I was able to come back stronger than ever after resting, and surf some of my biggest and best waves, leaving Morocco on a high note.

Madrid

Before heading back home to Australia, I spent two nights with my childhood best friend Julia, who now lives in Madrid. I was overwhelmed with love and pride to see the beautiful life she has created for herself in this amazing city. Although we have both gone on to live completely contrasting lives, we have come full circle to realize the exact same life lessons. We spent hours in deep conversation as we walked around the stunning city. I was surprised to feel so at peace in a city, a sensation I normally don’t find in concrete environments. I loved experiencing the laid back Spanish lifestyle - late afternoon lunches followed by siestas in the sun, late night dinner followed by dancing... a lovely end to a long long journey.

Human Connection

Overall, across all of the continents I traversed, I realized how lucky I am to arrive in any country and instantly be surrounded with people welcoming me with open arms. To me, it’s not so much about the places I visit, but the people meet along the way. The friendships that are just seeds in one spot, but then always blossom into flowers all across the world. The serendipity that makes human connection, and re-connection, so special every time it happens.

I definitely learned to think twice next time I plan such a big, long journey... after much exploration in the past few years, I feel myself entering an era where I crave more stability and grounding. I won’t stop exploring, but I will make sure to do it in a way that helps me to preserve my inner peace and show up fully in the places I visit.