10 Things That I'm Grateful To Do Everday After Traveling for a Long Time - And What's Yours?

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

After traveling for a while, moving from one country to another, meeting and hanging out with people nonstop, I came to a point that I just got very tired of the nomadic lifestyle. I really love traveling though, but only up to a certain point. I found myself longing to be in just one place, doing the things that I love doing every day. In the end, we still have to create the kind of life we don’t need to escape from, and this was what traveling had taught me.

I had those nights during my trip when I just broke down cry. I didn’t want to move, I didn’t want to be an outsider and I couldn’t handle the constant changes anymore. But anyway, I still moved on and had gone through it all. Those feelings just made me a stronger person than I was before I’ve traveled. Now that I’m back to my home country, I’m thankful for every day that I’m still alive to remember all those experiences, and those hundreds of stories that I couldn’t wait to share with the world, or to those who are willing to listen and learn from it.

These are the things that I’m thankful that I got to do every day:

1. I got to live in my own place, comfortable enough that I got to enjoy waking up every day. When I was traveling, I had to stay in hostels or somebody else’s houses. Although I’m very thankful to those people who accommodated me during my trip, after a while, I was longing for my own place I could call home.

2. I got to work at home every day. And through this, I could earn money to be able to live a comfortable life, to fund my future start-up project and to be able to travel again someday.

3. I got to share my stories and travel experiences through STEEMIT. And I’m thankful to those who read and follow my stories.

4. I got to live in a small town close to the beach. I have stayed away from my city, even though my few remaining friends are living there. I knew why I left it in the first place. The city will only remind me of the things I have already left behind years ago. I prefer to stay close to nature now.

5. I got to buy English books. When I was traveling in South America, I didn’t have that much access to bookstores selling English books. If there was any, It was expensive. I was hungry for English books that I promise myself to buy more when I go back to my country. I mean, I love to read books in Spanish too but I believe that there are some books better to be read in English.

6. I got to spend some time alone every day. When I was traveling, I felt like I had to participate in all activities that my Couchsurfing hosts were in to. Don’t get me wrong, it was so nice to be part of their lives. However, at some point, I longed to just spend some time on my own. I couldn’t do that as I was staying in other people’s houses most of the time during my travel. It would be rude to just stay inside the room when everybody in the house would like to get to know their guest.

7. I got to live a simple life and away from partying, drinking and drugs. I was staying in hostels where I met awesome people from different countries who became my friends. Most of the time, there was always alcohol and drugs, and knowing weakness, I could just totally be out of control. I admit that there were some happy days under the influence, and some good times with my German and French friends I met during the last days of my travel, but I’m also happy that I’m now away from the things that I know might ruin me in the end.

8. I got to wake up and sleep whenever I want. Wow, such a good feeling isn’t it? When I was staying with my hosts from Couchsurfing, I was not really free to do whatever I want, like wake up and sleep whenever. Unless they were like those cool CouchSurfing guys from Brazil, whom I could hang out and be myself with, even though I was staying in their houses. Those moments were priceless.

9. I got to eat the local food every day. I love trying a different food or the local dish of a country because that’s part of traveling. But somehow I missed my own food, the flavor, and the taste. And I got to cook my own food and buy those ingredients I couldn’t buy anywhere else.

10. I go to do all things worth appreciating every day. I got to do things that challenge, fulfill and excite me. I got to live, love and laugh because in the end, what I can today is all that matters.

And what about you? What’s the best thing that you are grateful to do every day?

*** I would be happy to share yours on my next post.