It started in February.

I said yes for the first time in about a year to getting on a plane and going somewhere new.

That place was Colorado and the trip would change everything.

After landing and experiencing four days of epic hikes, Rocky Mountain views and National parks I had to get more.

In less than two weeks I was off to Chicago to celebrate St. Patrick’s day. Then came a spur of the moment trip to Alabama, followed by a flight down to Miami and then a music festival in Memphis, Tennessee.

Four months of traveling around the USA and it had all stemmed from one word.

Of course the sites inspired me to continue my travels but something else was awakened in me during those four days.

I opened my eyes to the reality of saying yes.

Without knowing it, I had habitually started saying no to travel and anything I knew was going to cost me.

I thought it was irresponsible of me to take trips when I was still a waitress and living paycheck by paycheck.

In hindsight, I see my mistake.

By thinking that I couldn’t go on these trips I decided subconsciously that I shouldn’t ever be going on them. When travel opportunities came my way, I automatically said no.

The Colorado trip opened my eyes to all of the trips that I had missed out on and the possibility for my future.

I realized that in fact, I could travel around for pretty cheaply. Once I started looking to travel outside of the USA, it was game on. I knew I could travel for even less and be able to go long term instead of taking week or weekend trips to new places.

That one yes led to a domino effect of travel opportunities that have led me to be able to write this from Croatia.

In the past five months I have backpacked through Central America and then spent my fall exploring the streets of Europe.

Our habit is to say no to things that could cost us but what we are really doing is saying no to the experiences that are going to shape us and our lives.

Because I got on that plane to Colorado, I inevitably ended up getting on a plane by myself to Costa Rica.

In five months I have grown into a new person, somebody who is ten fold more confident in her abilities to create the life that she has always wanted.

That would have never happened if I had kept waitressing back in Nashville, thinking that someday I would finally take action on the dreams that were calling me.

Break the habit and say yes next time. This yes is like opening a door, stepping into what you feel has been calling to you all along.

Look at it as a domino effect-tap one and the rest will come down with it.

Say yes and go all in.