TOURIST SEASON IS OVER.

I had been working at a financial organization for two years before I decided to quit and backpack down the East Coast alone. A highly creative type, I had to make a drastic (and very scary) change to set myself on the right path. I put in my two weeks, and I booked a flight and some hostels. I flew out two days after my last day at work.

I backpacked through Boston, NYC, D.C., Virginia Beach, Greensboro and New Orleans. I don’t really do “vacations” and I’m certainly not a “tourist.” This was meant to be hard on me. In NYC, I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, all the way to Williamsburg. In New Orleans, I wandered the streets at night and befriended a homeless man named Marvin.

Throughout my trip, I was fortunate to spend time with new strangers along the way, each with their own stories and dreams. Additionally, I learned about myself. What deconditioning that had occurred to me then stays with me now, and I found my freedom.