A few years ago if I would’ve admitted that I enjoy routine, I would’ve called myself a phony a la Holden Caulfield. I wanted to portray a life that was always on the road and being free. I wanted so badly to be a nomad- whatever that means. I so badly wanted to explore every inch of the world- somehow telling the stories of my adventures along the way… for whoever wanted to read. I heard a quote by one of my adventure heroes Jedediah Jenkins which goes, “routine is the enemy of time.” This hit me like a ton of bricks, and I began to run with it. I no longer wanted to let routine rule me. I wanted to fly by the seat of my pants in a sense. I wanted to live a life that welcomed experiences. I lived that way for a few years, and it was incredible. I lived a life of saying ‘yes.’

Flash forward to now, I am in my fifth home in four years, in a job that practically promotes not having a routine on my off shifts, and I find myself craving it. When I return to my desert town after living in the wilderness for eight days, I cannot wait to fall into a routine that can structure my off shift. For a while I felt shame in this. For so long I preached living a life void of routine, what does it say about my growth? Have I become a fake? Wanting to prioritize waking up, drinking coffee, writing in my gratitude journal, run, stretch, and meditate makes me feel full and doesn’t seem so bad. It makes me feel connected in this world. Without it I am completely flustered and lost in the day. I think as I get older I become more attached to routine and that is okay. I keep telling myself it is good to grow and evolve with age. It is okay to find happiness in a bit of routine. It is okay to want to settle in some aspects- to begin to set roots. My time being a full-time nomad is slowing down, and I am beginning to see perks of finding more permanent homes. I believe my wanderlust is still alive and well. Something that I think will never go away. I am getting use to this new thought process of life, and I cannot wait to see where this new version of exploring and living takes me even if it does contain a little routine.