It's odd to admit, but I don't need to go on a trip this summer. I'm quite content living at my parents for now. 

I'm not into mooching off my parents, but this is a just season in the Life of a Modern Day Twenty-something.  (BTW, I fully intend on moving out soon and eventually travelling the entire world round.  I figured it's high time for me to sit 'er down and crank out something useful) 

Still, I'm in the same house everyday and it can be depressing.

I remember feeling so alive during my past trips, partly because I always knew that the experience was going to end.  When my legs accumulated 117 mosquito bites in Tanzania, I *only* had two weeks left to the trip.   When my shoulders were sunburnt in Bali (and I didn't bring any t-shirts!!), I *only* had 10 days left. 

I tried to be grateful that I got to travel anyway. 

Life is never so bad.  

Yea, I'm not cruising across the African desert plains this summer but I'm alive and kicking (and will be kicking until my next season of travel arrives). 

In the meantime, this is how I stay inspired. If you've ever felt like you're dying to go on a trip, you'll love this vlog: 

I'm conflicted. My problem is that I'm trying to create my own dream career and live my passionate life while telling you how to live yours.  

So I'm making a declaration today that I will not try to tell you how to live your life.  I'll just tell you what's working for me.  (Honestly, this is what I've been doing all along, but I feel better making it clear to you :) I only ever share things that have personally worked for me.)

Here goes: I have seriously down days.  At various points in my life I thought I must have bipolar disorder, PMDD (aka. severe PMS), SAD ( aka. severe winter blues) or depression.

In my efforts to alleviate my moodiness, I went on birth control pills, cleaned up my diet, became vegetarian and even escaped last winter by jetting off to Singapore. Some things worked, but nothing for very long. 

Now I just face it, the ups and downs are part of the human condition. (Not to mention, starting a business makes highs higher and the lows lower.)  The point of life though is to ride the waves, not to numb it all out. 

There was a point when I thought I would NEVER work in international development again. 

After two summer internships in East Africa, I was fed up with the dirt, corruption and lack of proper infrastructure.  I'm not cut out for this, I decided.  

These "dark spots" on my resume are why I've rewritten the about page on my websites hundreds of time. 

What's your dream career?  Not the one you absorbed from professors, guidance counsellors, colleagues or parents. 

What's yours?