Image: @TheHappyTalent on Instagram

Last night, like every night before it these last few weeks, was one of the most glorious of my life. It was midnight, and I was walking through the woods, alone. The trees blocked most of the moonlight and starlight, but above and below and all around me, I was surrounded by fireflies. 

All at once, I felt secluded in nature, and like I was scuba diving, and like I was riding Space Mountain, and like I was on some kind of drug that just makes you love everything around more than you thought possible. 

Travel is... a lot of things. Amazing. Disgusting. Enlightening. Disheartening. But one thing I love about it is that it feels like kindergarten, college, and adulthood, all at once!

I hate stereotypes about women as much as anyone else... but here's one that's actually true:

Almost everyone who participates in teen travel tours, service trips, and summer abroad programs​... is a girl.

It's commonly believed that there are no more miracles. 

This is completely incorrect. I have personally witnessed not one, but two, miracles. 

I recently busted my shoulder and learned I couldn't do any of my normal activities (surfing, basketball, mountain biking) for at least two months. The one thing I could still do... was scuba dive!

(As long as it was tropical -- there was no way I could get a wetsuit on over that arm!)

"I'm not a tourist, I'm a traveler!" I've heard this countless times during my travels. If I'm being honest, I've probably said it myself at some point.

But with age comes wisdom. I've changed my tune. I am perfectly happy to be a shameless tourist.

​Here's why.

I recently returned from my first trip to Roatan -- and it was amazing. No regrets. I would definitely go back.

BUT. One thing I really wish I'd known before booking my flights is that Roatan is not Bonaire.​

Image: @TheHappyTalent on Instagram

You know what sucks about human psychology? We're hardwired to be scared, lonely, ableist, and jealous. Happiness and contentment feel good -- but from an evolutionary perspective, they're worthless.

​Meanwhile, people who felt scared avoided dangerous activities. People who felt jealous were less likely to raise offspring that weren't theirs. People who were never satisfied with what they had hoarded resources that kept them alive during droughts and famines. People who gossiped knew whom to trust and whom to avoid.

Evolutionarily, fear is an extremely important emotion... but in the modern world, it's often maladaptive. For example, people's obsession with the idea that women should never run/travel/leave the house alone, because if they do, they'll totally get raped and murdered. 

The reality is: No. They won't.

According to some of my Instagram followers, I "travel all the time."​​ Which is somewhat true. I travel a few months per year -- and that is enough for me. During these adventures, I sometimes meet full-time travelers...

And I don't understand them. To me, traveling full-time seems like it would be miserable. 

After two months of surfing, hiking, scuba diving, and cultural experiences in Southeast Asia, I've officially returned home with a new vice:

I'm a water hoarder.