Hey Reader!

It’s the last day of February (my least favorite month), and I’m celebrating by getting ready to welcome Spring. This time of year always brings big changes in my world and this one is no exception.

There’s a lot to share with you in this email, so it’s a bit longer than usual. I hope you’ll stick with me.

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Truth: Life is one grand exercise in letting go.

Learning to let go starts when we’re small. Friends move away, our teachers change from year to year and, eventually, we have our first encounter with death and the excruciating experience of saying goodbye to loved one.
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As we grapple with identity and belonging in our teenage years, we tuck our favorite stuffed animals and nerdy interests away from the world, starting to let go of our childhoods.
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Once we leave the classroom, shit gets real. We complete the process of saying goodbye to childhood and begin to find our own path in the wider world.
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With time, we let go with more ease. We get used to saying goodbye to colleagues when we change jobs and homes as we move about the world.
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We leave romantic relationships and friendships as we grow in different directions. Whole piles of dreams get shed along the way as we learn more about life and ourselves.

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One of the downsides of being a dreamer is having more than one lifetime will allow us to pursue. We have to make difficult choices about where to put our time and energy.
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In some alternate universe, I’m living out my dream of being a social psychologist, nerding out on human behavior all day. In another, I’m a political activist, fighting to change broken systems and bring more justice to the world.
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The dreams I have for this lifetime are different. I’ve chosen to let the others go. ​
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Right now, my dreams are changing once again. After nearly two years of pursuing the dream of travel blogging, content creation, and traditional online business, I’ve discovered it’s not where my heart is.
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What I’ve learned through those explorations is leading me into something new. Life is funny like that -- one thing leads to the next, to the next, to the next. Static isn’t my way, so onward I follow.

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What is the next dream? I’m not entirely sure yet. That’s still becoming clear as I explore, but writing all the 7,362 stories floating around my brain is what’s calling to me now. Currently, this is filling notebooks, but many of these will eventually find their way into the wider world.

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In order for me to give my full attention to what’s coming to life through me, I have to let go of what has run its course. That means it’s time to end the Indie Travel Dispatch and begin anew.
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I can not thank you enough for taking this journey with me! I will be back, and I hope you’ll stick around to see where we go from here. I will miss sending these emails on a regular basis, but I know this is what I need right now.
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Please, please, please, stay in touch if you feel so inclined! I’ll still be around and using this email. I’d love to hear from you!
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There will be more from me in the future, though I can’t say exactly what or when. This creative process has its own timing, which it hasn’t clued me into just yet.
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In order to find out, I need the space to dream a new dream.

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Updates on Offerings

I’m still offering help with travel planning and the DIY course as I explore other opportunities, but I won’t be writing the blog anymore.

I’m leaving the course discounted through the weekend (EMAIL15). Afterward, it will remain $100, and will continue to include monthly calls. My love for travel hasn’t changed -- I still want to spend time with my fellow travelers!

I’m still helping people plan their trips, and have added other non-travel projects into the mix to keep the bills paid.

Freelance writing, creating and implementing content strategy, including optimizing content for search engines, and helping others build their online businesses are a few of the other things I’m doing now. I love the variety! I still have a bit of room for more work, if you know someone looking for help with any of these things.

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As always, thank you for being here and sharing this space with me! 🙏💚

I’d love to hear what you’re up to and what dreams you’re pursuing!

I mean what I said, please stay in touch! I hope to hear from you soon. ​
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Here’s to new beginnings and big dreams. 🙌

Cheers,

Annie