Not the mystic, fortune-teller kind…

…the nomadic, free-spirited, wild child kind.

I just moved to San Francisco in attempts to start a fresh new life. However, after a lot of stressful planning and uprooting, I’m thinking that maybe this lifestyle isn’t for me (sorry, mom 😬). I’m finally allowing myself to embrace my true nature and commit to who I really am.

I hope what I have learned about myself inspires you to embrace who you are whether you are a gypsy or hermit or anything in between. You need to know that whatever you are it’s okay. It’s a big world, and there is most certainly a place for you.

1. Your big life decisions are quick but thoughtful.

Sometimes I wonder what I would have done if I didn’t go to college, but I’m glad I did because now I have some sort of value to the “real” world. Yet, it was hard for me to decide what school, major, where.

I finally settled down on Illustration at the Art Institute of Atlanta because I had always been extremely talented in the visuals arts. I had a great time.

2. You can’t hold a job and/or have no desire to.

Within a few weeks of finishing school, I quickly got hired at an advertising agency in Atlanta. It was a fantastic learning experience and I met so many wonderful people. After two years, I felt very unhappy, feeling like I was wasting my life under fluorescent lighting, becoming a permanent chair accessory.

The kicker was when my co-worker said to me, “You know, I spend more time with you than I do with my husband.”

I wanted a reality where I spend more time with my family than with my co-workers and clients. It was a tough decision, but I quickly followed my instinct and ventured off as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer.

And even so, if my clients were too picky, or wanted me to work on-site, it was only a matter of time before I was anxious for the next project. Leading to the next indicator…

3. You find it hard to live within someone else’s boundaries.

Freelancing gave me the freedom to choose the clients and projects that I wanted, giving me a taste of living by my own rules.

Shortly after I started freelancing, I moved to Bethany Beach, Delaware.

A beautiful place where corn fields meet the sea. It’s not for everyone, but I love it. However, within months I quickly became so unhappy. I hate to put this out there, but honestly, I felt suffocated by my relationship.

At first, I thought it was the remote location. I quickly started dreaming of traveling and living abroad. I’d confess my fantasies to my partner, and he would brush them away with excuses like, “How am I going to make money?”

Fair question, but I was unenthused by his lack of creativity and passion. It was time to leave.

4. You prefer adventures and fear becoming stagnant.

I was with this guy for 6 years—I met him when I was 18 and when he wouldn’t commit, I was upset about a lot of things—but mostly at myself for wasting so much time going steady and safe.

I moved back home to South Florida and quickly reconnected with old friends. I traveled to Europe and got reacquainted with myself again. I got my first apartment all by myself. It was extremely empowering, and I LOVED this new way of living by my own boundaries.

I eventually met a guy—who for the first time in my life, accused me of being a gypsy. He must have recognized something in me that I hadn’t quite seen yet.

We found ourselves at a point where we wanted to travel and planned a cross-country road trip. Now, I only knew this guy for a few weeks, and I definitely do not encourage other single ladies to take this kind of adventure, but it turned out to be pretty awesome. It’s three years later and we still daydream about it.

Since, I’ve gone to Japan twice, I’ve surfed in Panama, gotten lost in the jungle in Costa Rica, and lived in three different states.

5. You’re always trying to create something.

My favorite friends have straight-up asked me, “So… how do you make money? Are you financially independent or something?”

And no, I am not.

I’m so fortunate to have my education, talent, and drive. It’s kept me afloat. I’ve continued freelancing. I’ve also started a few businesses, made many mistakes and learned so much.

In almost every exchange of money for labor or services, I’m always doing something creative. Designing websites and logos, building a business, painting my next masterpiece, writing about my life... The most nail-biting part is that I have a really hard time choosing and sticking to one.

But I’m okay with the uncertainty, I thrive on it. It keeps me on my toes and somehow, I keep making money, I keep shoving delicious food in my mouth, I always have a place to sleep, and I keep getting better and better at my craft.

6. Hardly ever feel home.

I moved to Delaware because I had grown tired of Atlanta after living there for 7 years. I left Delaware, well, because I broke up with my boyfriend and needed my family to help me through that difficult time.

Soon, I grew anxious living with my parents. I got my own apartment and planned to move back to Atlanta because South Florida is not my most favorite place in the world.

After I met my boyfriend, however, I decided to stay and wait for him to finish school. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, but he’s a keeper, so it was totally worth it.

Together, we moved to Atlanta for six months, and very quickly decided to relocate to San Francisco.

We’ve been trying to cultivate a game plan of how we want to transition into our life here, but it’s so hard. Only because we aren’t tied to a car, a lease, or a job.

I’m at this point in my life where I have the opportunity to make the world my home. It doesn’t make sense to me to go back to the boundaries of society because that is what’s expected of us.

I don’t care about what’s expected of me. I’m finally learning to embrace who I am and trust my intuition. It feels so good to get off a heavily traveled path and trust that I can navigate just fine when I follow my own heart.