Month in Review: April 2015

Arc de Triunfo, Barcelona, Spain

I know what you’re thinking!  Why yes, this post IS indeed arriving a tad on the tardy side.  I assure you, though, I have plenty of good excuses explanations for that.

You may recall that I was rather mopey in March.  I was letting things get me down, dwelling on the negative, and feeling a little anxious about my future.  Suddenly, April shows up at my doorstep with a bottle of tequila in hand and a won’t-take-no-for-an-answer attitude, and before I knew it exciting opportunities were cropping up left and right and I couldn’t wait to see how it would all unfold.

Flash forward 30-odd days and here I am in Catalonia, Spain, once again fully in love with life; and, rather than wasting my energy unnecessarily worrying about the future, I’m delighting in the endless possibilities intrinsic to this oft-surreal nomadic lifestyle I’ve chosen.

Here are just a few of the things that took place this month to get me back on my feet.

In April, 2015…

I poured my heart and soul into this little blog of mine and started to see real growth.

This blogging journey has been a turbulent one, and I’ve often doubted it along the way.  But, I’ve refused to give up, and it’s gratifying to finally feel as though my efforts are paying off.  I still feel like a total noob with many more blogging mountains to climb, but good things are happening.  In fact, I just wrapped up my first ever travel blogging conference, TBEX (my main motivation for leaving South America to come to Spain), and I’m feeling more motivated than ever to keep growing and improving as a blogger.  Stay tuned for a thorough post about my experience in Costa Brava and at the conference!

TBEX Costa Brava
TBEX Costa Brava

I learned to let go.

April was not without its challenges.  After a few major meltdowns, I finally realized I was letting my emotional baggage control my actions, hurt my relationships, and rob me of my happiness.  I also realized it would have to be a conscious decision to let go of that baggage–it wasn’t going to magically disappear on its own.  I’ll admit, I still have moments of weakness, but I can say with confidence that I’m heading in the right direction.

I hit the road again.

Six weeks spent at home in Washington turned out to be just right.  When it came time to leave, I flew first to New York to spend a few days there hanging with good friends before making the long-haul journey to Europe.  I got to meet one of my awesome readers for the first time ever (Hi, Jason!) and enjoyed travel talk over coffee, then bid farewell to the states with only vague plans in place after TBEX.  I spent a long layover exploring the touristy sights of London and then finally landed in Barcelona more jetlagged than I have ever been.  Finally, I made my way to Costa Brava, a region of Catalonia northeast of Barcelona, where the conference would be held and where I am currently writing from.

Park Guell, Barcelona, Spain
Park Guell, Barcelona

I made plans for after TBEX.

If you’ve been following along on Facebook, you know that when I originally booked my ticket to Spain I had big plans to settle down in one of the major cities and blog from a home base, as I had done in Medellin. You probably also know by now that my plans never go as I, well, plan them.  I’ve now got a flight booked to another European country for later this month…but I’m not quite ready to tell you which one!  A big reveal will follow, so keep your eyes peeled.

How did April shape up for you? 

10 comments

  • Justine

    That’s awesome Leah! I’m so happy to hear that Europe and TBEX have both been so good for you and your blogging life. It looks like things are looking up. Woo hoo! And I’m dying to know where you’re going next…
    Justine recently posted…Jakarta’s Hippest New Hangout: Pasar SantaMy Profile

    • La Mochilera (author)

      Thanks Justine! Things are definitely on the upswing. It doesn’t hurt that I’m traveling again, and in such a gorgeous location to boot. Will be revealing my plans soon! 🙂

  • Rachel

    Glad things are looking up! Can’t wait to see where you’re going and how the nomadic lifestyle works out in Europe! (I loved the Women in Travel Summit I attended in Boston – I just met so many interesting people with such passion for travel, so I’m sure TBEX was like that on steroids.)
    Rachel recently posted…How to Survive the Beaufort Wine and Food FestivalMy Profile

    • La Mochilera (author)

      My summer will definitely be interesting! I hope to find a place that I can call my next home base. I’ll be traveling most of the summer so by the time I’m done with that, I’m sure I will be ready to “settle down” again. TBEX was seriously awesome, I can’t recommend it enough!

  • Emily

    April was a trying month for lots of people… I am so excited to hear the experiences from attendees of TBEX, what a perfect location, right? Next year is Stockholm … I think I need to make it there for sure! April was an incredibly trying month with profound highs and lows {yuck, glad that’s over with}… and now I’m looking forward to trip planning an epic road trip with my sister.
    Cheers,
    Emily recently posted…The Liebster Award-discover new blogsMy Profile

    • La Mochilera (author)

      Oh my goodness, yes. Costa Brava was such an amazing place for the conference. Everyone’s pretty excited that next year will be Stockholm, but at the same time it’s an expensive country to travel in! Your road trip sounds fantastic. I hope your May is better than April…mine is looking up already! 🙂

  • Lavi

    I’m so glad we met at TBEX, it makes it all the more exciting to read about your travels and experiences. You are 100% headed in the right direction, Leah, and we’re all looking forward to see where you end up! xo
    Lavi recently posted…Chefchaouen: Get Lost in Morocco’s Blue PearlMy Profile

    • La Mochilera (author)

      Ahhh Lavi!! I’m so happy to have met you as well, and I’m excited to read about your adventures. Hopefully I’ll see you again at another TBEX? 😉

  • Joella // Paper Crane Stories

    Oh I totally missed this post- I swear my bloglovin’ misses posts sometimes. Well your blog is awesome so keep up the good work, lady! 🙂 So glad April was an awesome month for you. Hope May is just as good!
    Joella // Paper Crane Stories recently posted…I left My Heart In YanakaMy Profile

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