Passion – any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate.

When is passion a bad thing? Don’t think I don’t notice you, over there, looking at me as I jump up and down with pure excitement. Toning down stoke is hard people, but I do it.

It is difficult for me to write about passion as a topic. I’ve struggled with it for years and continue to try to fit into groups–work, travel, and outdoors groups. Finding a place to call home in a large, over-populated world, but I am getting closer until I have another setback.

A Passion for Career

I don’t talk much about my professional life on the blog. However, I am finding myself lost at times and have ups and downs as I figure out where I belong in the 9-to-5 world.

I nod and take feedback on how to improve. I adjust and learn, but I can always be working on something. Improving my career brain. Trying to integrate my passion for travel, the outdoors, and a career into my daily work.

Everyone has a career path and wants their work to matter. What happens when you’re the only one that advocates for the performance of your work or project? I mean you put 40+ hours a week into a project. It’s your baby. You want to see it grow to be a healthy big project that other people can see grow and shine.

A Passion for Travel

Why isn’t there ever enough vacation days?

Remember I said I have to tone down my excitement? Coworkers and friends don’t want to hear about what you were up to while they were stuck behind their computer screen. So you say, “Oh, it was a fun trip.” Depending on the person, you may share a few highlights but refrain spiraling long conversations about travel–or I try to.

passion for travel

Why do you think I write? I write to share what I can’t share to people around me, which doesn’t necessarily apply to travel only, but it started that way. When I studied abroad, my program taught me a thing called reverse culture shock. Families and friends not being happy for you that you are living your life. Some of my best stories I retell are ones from travel. How people surprise you by doing a kind act to help you get to your destination or those that befriend you just when you need it.

Life is too short to live the life others want you to.

A Passion for the Outdoors

You climb mountains? You search for adrenaline? You push yourself to the limits?

People look at me like I am crazy. I hear statements and questions trying to understand why I do the things I do: “You’re always on the go.” “How do you find time?” “When do you give yourself a break?”

Glacier Peak Climb

I dabble into outdoor sports. I am not going to be the next Olympic skier or a sponsored climber, but I will follow my desire to explore. There’s something about fresh air and feeling alive that keeps me going back for more. Packing everything I need in a pack for a weekend adventure. The scenery, the smells, and the sounds help me drown out my sometimes stressful work week. Plus, I get a nice workout after a long week of sitting on my bum at my desk. My eyes look far out into the distance instead of looking a foot-and-a-half at pixels on a screen.

Hills and woods covered my backyard as a child. I escape to the outdoors and return to a simple life, a life of camping on the weekends and relying on myself to get past difficult situations, sometimes with the help of friends. I test my mental and physical endurance and learn about myself outside of my everyday routine. I don’t like routine.

Balancing Passion

How do I get over my fiery passion? I subdue the stoke or the emotions when I can–it’s so hard. After all, I am a tiny person in a large world. I think the punchline goes something like, “First-world problems.” Yes, they are first-world problems. I wish I could just let things go, see the bigger picture when emotions fly, remind myself I am one person…but if I can’t be myself, then what’s it worth. I am struggling finding my voice in the world I live in. Trying to be heard among the masses.

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