I don't know about any of you that may be reading this, but I've just been feeling stressed out lately.  2018 has been a long year already and it's only February. So when you get a short moment of relaxation, it can feel like total tranquility. That was how I felt today when I was filming at a park in Monroe.

When you just hear just the sounds of nature (albeit, with some cars in the far background), it can put your mind at ease. Just walking on the land without a paved path, surrounded by water, grass, and the sounds of animals passing by, it just hit the "reset" button for me. 

My job can definitely be difficult-everyone has hard parts of their job. But I get to do things and go places not everybody gets to during their work day. Today it took me here to this beautiful place.

This is a short & sweet blog post. I just thought I'd share what I had the chance to experience today. I hope everyone has the opportunity to take a step back and relax, and hit the "reset" button this week. I think getting away from it all and just being alone in an outdoor setting does a lot.

Adventure is calling me. 

As I've said before, I haven't been out of the country since 2012. SIX YEARS. That is a long time for me...it feels like an eternity.  I've been on family trips, like a cruise to the Caribbean when I was a teenager. But in college, I spent a month and a half in Madrid, Spain. I took a biology class and a travel writing class. I learned a lot and had a wonderful experience both in and out of the classroom. I got to see some of the major tourist sites in Madrid. I also took a trip to Barcelona, which was absolutely beautiful. I visited Asturias, a mountainous area, where I did horseback riding and ate fresh wild boar (which was delicious, by the way). I went to the Canary Islands for scuba diving and I got certified there. And I was able to practice my Spanish. 

My other trip was only two weeks long, but we sure packed in a lot of sites. I had the opportunity to visit Israel as part of a Middle East Policy and Security Studies program through my school. And I figured, why not? It could be really interesting. It was an insightful trip. I recommend people visit at least one place that's not on their bucket list. I stayed in Herzilya, which is right on the Israeli coast. Waking up to the view of the Mediterranean Sea was amazing. I was able to visit Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea, Masada, Jerusalem...plenty of other great places. I was raised Christian and being able to see some of the sites that you hear about in bible stories from thousands of years ago is so cool. 

I'm sure many people have said this before, but travel is such an important experience. It gets you out of your comfort zone, it opens your eyes to new cultures and ways of thinking, different opinions. I would rather have experiences than "stuff." A trip to another place on my bucket list like Slovenia, or buying a new laptop? I'll take the trip to Slovenia-see the sites, eat the food, learn some more of the language, and maybe visit some family we still have there. I'll take that in a heartbeat. Even if it's not out of the U.S. Take that trip to New Orleans or Chicago or Austin or Seattle or whatever places you'd been thinking about. At least see some of the awe-inspiring sites that our country has to offer. There are so many to choose from. Those cities are some I've had my eye on for a while as well. Sure it will take some time to save up the money to enjoy all of those experience awaiting.  But I can say with certainty that I'm at my happiest, my most carefree, relaxed, and content when I am traveling. 

How often have you moved? 

I was born and raised in a Connecticut city. From there, I went to Syracuse University, I came home, moved up to Potsdam (St. Lawrence County) in New York, and now I'm here in Middletown enjoying Orange County. 

It seems funny to say "I'm a New Yorker." I've been living out of Connecticut for almost 8 years now, if you count 'Cuse as moving. I also spent a semester in D.C.  But I am, indeed, a New Yorker. But when I say "I'm going home," it usually refers to CT.  It's funny how I'm an adult, with my own place, a full-time job, my own car, etc. But I still feel like it's like an extended college leave, just with a lot more responsibility. 

This the life we newsers have. A lot of packing up and going, trying to climb up the markets. Some of my family/friends joke that I have a "nomad life" because I'm always on the go. But I'm sure there are other people outside of the news industry who move a lot.   

Have you moved a lot? For work, family, or some other reason. How do you transition from place to place? 

It's nice to know there are other people who get the same perks from constantly moving around and seeing new places....but who also can understand the difficulties of packing up all your stuff, the stress of moving, and starting all over again.