9.5.25 // Mandatory Travel Selfies

Mandatory Travel Selfies
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A few weeks ago, I posted one of these, and someone commented, “they aren't really mandatory.”
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Well, of course not. But here’s why they feel gently mandatory for me…
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I didn’t take my first international trip until I was 27. That was only seven years ago. I didn’t start traveling regularly until I was 29. Travel has been, and will always be, an incredible privilege. One that fills me with satisfaction, yes, but even more with gratitude.
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To look at a new horizon, to be shaped by cultures and landscapes that aren’t my own, to meet people who expand my perspective... it’s a gift I don’t ever want to take for granted.
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So the silly little selfie? That’s my way of honoring it. A pause to say: "holy shit, Liz, you’re going somewhere! How freaking lucky am I!?" It’s a small moment of deep presence that brings me back to my gratitude and reminds me that travel isn’t random luck- it’s something I’ve yearned for, worked toward, and felt called to as an adult.
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Maybe the bathroom selfies make you roll your eyes. That’s okay. But social media rarely tells the bigger story, so here’s mine: every trip still feels like a massive privilege, every horizon is a reminder of that, and every photo I share is a thank you to something bigger than me for the privilege of seeing the world this way.