Why I'm Tired Of Being Told That I Need To Grow Up

A few honest words about why I'm tired of being told that I need to 'grow up'!

Okay, so I'm just going to pop a disclaimer up now and apologise for this lengthy ramble that I know this post will become, here's just a few thoughts that have been grating on me for a while now. Something that I feel like I REALLY need to share with you guys, and it's something that I feel quite passionately about.

So here goes! Why I'm tired of being told to 'grow up'...

Firstly I put 'grow up' in brackets because what does that even mean?! I'm not even so sure that people even know themselves when they tell me to be honest. Maybe because I don't own a house? Or because I'm not married? I'm a self sufficient 27 year old, with savings, a 3 year relationship and a business. I work for myself and support myself.

Travel is a HUGE part of my life, I'm so thankful and grateful that in the last few years I've been able to travel fairly extensively as a part of my job. However I absolutely adored travelling before travelling with FMIF ever became a thing; it's just something that's always felt like it's been a part of me, discovering new places and making new friends - nothing quite beats it.

Along the way, I've met people, strangers, family, who land the odd dig about how I'll eventually have to 'grow up', grow out of this life and one day stop travelling. Because of course that's what all adults do right?

Wrong.

I don't travel to escape life, I travel to live life.

And I'm so sick of being told that I need to grow up and out of this lifestyle.

Guess what?! It won't ever happen I'm afraid. I am growing up, I have been for the past 15 years. I don't want the perfect house, with the 2.4 kids, the wifey at home. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with that life. But it's just not me.

What I really want in life is to build the best life that I can for myself, for Ben and for our children one day. I will work so very hard to build a life I can only dream of. I want to live in the sunshine, for our children to be immersed in cultures and be aware of the world. I want to give them the world, I want them to see beauty with their own eyes. To feel it and to live it.

I can't ever really see myself settling in one place as much, it makes me feel slightly claustrophobic, living out the same routine day in, day out. Like I said this post is nothing against anyone who wants that in their life, because I believe we have to fulfil ourselves and find our own happiness, its just not a life I can see myself living.

I think that some people (particularly the older generation I've found), perhaps feel quite threatened by the life I lead, I'm not quite sure what ever really triggers someone feeling like they have the right to tell me to grow up. I would never tell someone else that, and it's not something that I particularly enjoy hearing. People telling you how to live your life, when really I believe that they should focus their energy on their own life rather than worrying about whether I'm 'growing up' or not.

I want people to understand that this isn't a phase in my life, that you know I've got to travel and get it 'out of my system' so I can grow up and settle down. This isn't what that's about, it isn't a phase, it's a lifestyle, and one that I've chosen to live.

The other day I tweeted this:

"Something I wanted to say... I'm not from a wealthy background, my parents worked hard and I have worked since I was 14. I decided to spend 5 weeks in Bali, I've set up collaborations to cover the cost of my trip. To me, money spent on travel, is worth more than in my bank"

I was laying there one night in Bali at like 1am, wrote out the tweet and just felt like I needed to say it. I had a really horrible feeling that people would just be sitting there thinking I get to travel for free all of the time, which I absolutely don't.

For ease of transparency, this trip all in has cost me £2,000! Why did I do it? Because I wanted to. Because I wanted to experience living and exploring a beautiful country. I stand by what I say that money spent on travel is worth more than in my bank. Of COURSE someone tweeted me like "Oh well travel isn't going to pay for your care home when you're 85 is it".

And no of course it isn't. I'm not stupid. Nor am I reckless. I have some money saved up for a home with Ben and I'm not out here travelling on my last £10, I wouldn't encourage people to travel if they couldn't afford it as it's just too stressful. Which is why I stated that I had worked hard to set up collaboration and cover the cost of this trip, because it's how I want to live my life. How I choose to live my life.

Exploring the world, piece by piece. And of course I'm still working whilst I'm away, I'm forever grateful that I can work remotely anywhere in the world as it allows me to live out my dream.

I know that I'm fortunate that my job enables me to do that; but I'll never sit there and put it down to luck; I put it down to hard work and following my dream. It pushes me SO much harder to work hard to fulfil my dream of travelling.

This is the life that I want for Ben and our children, I don't want to be pigeonholed into a corner, just because 'that's what grown up's do'. I'll live my life how I see fit, and I'll give my family the best life I possibly can in the world, no matter where we end up.

The one thing I would say to you, is follow your dreams and live your life for YOU. Don't ever compromise or live your life to make someone else happy, it's your life for a reason. Date the guy. Take the job. Follow your heart. Travel the world.

Whatever makes your heart happy, do it. Life is far too precious or short to ever live it for anyone but yourself <3