Traveling is always fun, seeing new places, trying new things. Always catching flights not feelings. However, have you ever caught a flight because you had feelings? I have…twice.
Let’s be honest, we’ve all done some crazy things for the person we’re either dating or interested in. And I’ll be honest, the first trip was not one of my proudest moments, but a learning experience for sure.
Back in October I flew from Chicago to Northern California to visit a guy I had been seeing on and off for a long time. There were so many red flags before I went. I found myself making excuses and rationalizing this last attempt to make things work. Also, to show that I was committed despite us living in different states.
The trip was a complete waste of time, I was there for around 3 days and I saw him a total of 5 minutes…I think it’s safe to say he has since been dropped and shall remain dropped.
On the bright side, NorCal is absolutely beautiful! I made the most out of my time there. I explored the warm California streets, tried some new food and got two tattoos!
I don’t regret a lot of things in life; however, this trip is one exception because prior to going I knew better I just wanted to believe different.
Fast forward 4 months, thriving in this new found self-love, I found myself here again talking to a new guy, but the vibe is different. We met through mutual friends and just seemed to naturally hit it off.
We had been consistently talking for about a month before I decided to be bold and get a ticket out to Arizona. Which is an exceptionally shorter period of time than the previous guy, but again something about this was different.
Prior to going I was in the process of developing an interest in this man, but I hadn’t fully caught any feelings. When I decided to purchase a ticket I was in the mindset of “We’re friends that have the potential to become more, so, let’s just see where this goes.”
The week flew by and before I knew it, it was time for me to get on my flight. Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous at all. The weekend was very chill and the upside to this trip, vs. my first, was I actually spent time with the person I flew out to see.
We got along great and it was refreshing to be able to be myself with someone who’s just as weird and sarcastic as me. Only battle I had was peeling him away from Fortnite (rolls eyes) which did not end in my favor.
As I headed back to Chicago, I left with the same mindset I went in with—  emphasis on the friends part. He is a real cool guy and I like the flow of how things are going. Rushing into things gets you nowhere.
Takeaways: 1) Love yourself first 2) Don’t be afraid to just go for it 3) Catch flights and not feelings
Happy Travels!