Every time I step into a plane, there’s a part of me that hesitates at the meaning of an upcoming adventure. Was it the right decision to buy an expensive plane ticket again, am I going to be safe, is this guy really worth it?

I’m a grateful female solo traveler who quit her job in order to travel. Traveling has been my greatest accomplishment and a life changing experience. The fresh air, four seasons, short distances and my Finnish passport are now high on my scale of things to appreciate.

When it comes to traveling, fear is often your biggest enemy. It hides behind an endless array of excuses: It’s just never the right time, you never have enough money, you will never be ready, and you will always miss family and loved ones.

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To simplify, the only limitation to travel is you.

While I normally beat the drum in favor of a balanced lifestyle, traveling kicks more ass than Rambo, Terminator and Chuck Norris combined. Yes, it takes great effort, lots of desire, high levels of commitment and sometimes countless hours of cleaning toilets. But that savage rush of energy that floods into your veins when you sit on a plane to an unknown destination is unbeatable.

Have you ever got a chance so big that it gave you goosebumps and made you scream from the top of your lungs? When a great opportunity comes along, it does it with a great amount of energy and before you know it there ain’t no mountain high enough.

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Your life is that great opportunity.

In order to live life to the fullest, you don’t necessarily need to buy a fancy-pants apartment nor get married. You need to jump into the unknown, conquer your fears and do whatever makes you smile. Sometimes traveling includes buckets of hesitations, sunburns and tears. Sometimes it’s full of changes and lessons learned. None of us is a stranger to taking new and sometimes scary steps in life. They will often present themselves when you least expect them. The least expected thing in my life was to fall in love. Fall in love with traveling. Answering these 30 questions gave me the courage to quit my day job and start the journey of a lifetime.

1. If not now, then when?

2. What would you do if nobody would judge you?

3. Have you done something worth remembering lately?

4. Time or money?

5. What is the one thing you are proud of  but would never put on your resume?

6. In twenty years from now, what do you want to remember?

7. If you had to move to a country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?

8. What is something that you have always wanted to do since you were a kid?

9. When did you first realize life is short?

10. What memory from the past makes you smile the most?

11. Are you proud of what you are doing or what have you done?

12. In one year from today, how do you want to be different?

13. Are you doing what you believe in or settling for what you are doing?

14. What do you need to do to make it happen?

15. What do you absolutely love in life?

16. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breath?

17. Has your greatest fear ever come true?

18. What is success for you?

19. What makes you feel great about yourself?

20. What do you admire most in the world?

21. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like doing?

22. When was the last time you started something new?

23. In order of importance, how would you rank happiness, money, love, health, fame?

24. What was the thing that didn’t last forever, but was still worth a while?

25. What has fear or failure stopped you from doing?

26. In one word, how would you spend the last month of your life?

27. What do you want to be known for?

28. What are you thankful for?

29. What do you need to let go of?

30. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?

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30 questions that made me quit my job and start traveling

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rita lahtinen At the fresh age of 15, Rita packed her bags and started exploring the world. 10 years and more than 50 countries later, she is still on the road. Originally from Finland, she is currently based in Copenhagen and San Diego. A few years ago, Rita decided to take a break from social media and focus on exactly where she was and with whom she was at the given moment. During those years, she focused on shooting film and wrote a novel about traveling as a young girl. Her latest project, traveldelic, is about 365 things travel has taught her so far. Please feel free to share your thoughts with her here. Find her on Instagram @traveldelic.

Tags travel, travel preparation, work and travel