MY TRIP TO GREECE...I DID IT FOR ME

I just celebrated my 40th birthday and took a trip to Greece to mark the big day.  This trip was truly an amazing trip and probably the best I've ever taken...and taken alone.

When I was thinking about what I wanted to do for my big birthday I thought about maybe taking a trip with friends, or maybe throw a big party here in Houston.  I had several people give their opinions about what I should do.   However, I knew that if the people I invited didn't show up that my feelings would get hurt. And instead of enjoying my birthday I would have felt as though people didn't like me. (ridiculous I know, but that's how I'd feel)  So I made a decision that I was going to take a trip by myself and check a place off my bucket list.  I decided to do something that I wanted to do and not care about anyone else.  I did it for me.

Most of my life I feel like I've been living and doing things for other people.  When I was married, my life and career path was based off what happened to my husband.  I quit jobs because of what was happening in his career. When you're married, you do make sacrifices, but when you're the only one sacrificing...that's tough.

Especially in the last couple of years I feel like I was doing things to make others happy. In my last relationship I feel as though a lot of the time I was constantly doing things to keep him happy.  It seemed to me that much of the time I was never good enough and was jumping through hoops to keep the peace. Doing things that I didn't feel comfortable with because it made him happy.

Even when it comes to dating I've pretty much done things, acted a certain way, and said certain things hoping to a get a guy to like me.  I was compromising myself for someone else, who most of the time didn't even know what they wanted themselves.  


On this vacation I had a lot of time to think and reflect.  I thought a lot about the things I've learned in my life and where I am with what I want in life.  I thought about the time I've wasted on people that don't deserve my time let alone my brain space.  I've thought about what I feel like I've been missing in my life and what I can I do to get there.  I will admit, at one point I got a little sad because I was disappointed about not having certain things I wanted in life, but I snapped out of it and went on to have a great rest of my trip.

Traveling alone has its challenges, but it also it so liberating.  Not having to worry about anyone else is great.  I don't have to babysit a wasted boyfriend.  I don't have to worry about getting in a fight with them.  I'm in charge of me and I get to do whatever and frankly whoever I want!

Don't get me wrong, I would've loved to have "my person" to travel with and I hope to have that one day, but until then I need to do things for me.  The only thing is...I need to make more money to make some of this happen.