Due to the pandemic, many of us are sad in our homes thinking back when we were free to live our lives to the fullest, go out, travel, hug strangers and turn them into friends. Do you think you cherished your freedom and health enough when you had it? If you feel like you’ve wasted your life working, watching TV and staring at your phone instead of talking to your loved ones and fulfilling your dreams, you still can make it all better. Here are a few ways you can live a life full of passion and adventure once this is all over. 

Take baby steps

You will probably want to do something drastic to your life, but taking baby steps towards change is also good. It’s hard to go from living in a two-story house to buying an RV and living on the road, but you don’t have to make the transition so harsh. Start by having small weekend trips followed by month-long journeys—if that works out for you, you can consider longer adventures.

Be spontaneous

Adventure, passion and spontaneity are best friends. Most people who live a wild and free life also believe in being spontaneous. As long as you’re staying safe, don’t think too much about doing something crazy. Book that trip you’ve seen on Instagram, go see that person that popped up in your head, grab your dog and go on a midnight stroll—every day has potential for adventure if you’re spontaneous.

Travel like there’s no tomorrow

Traveling after the pandemic will be such a freeing experience with so much to offer. This activity gives you a new perspective on life and can awaken passions you didn’t even know you had. Every single destination can teach you a new thing about the world (new language, new culture, new facts) and yourself (how you react in new situations, how fast you can adjust, how open-minded you are). And don’t be scared to stray and explore, especially if you find yourself in a safe country like New Zealand. For the biggest wow factor, arrange a car rental in Wellington and have a road trip so you can set your own pace, visit every destination you want and stop to smell the roses whenever you feel like it. Travel like there’s no tomorrow and you’ll discover many new passions of yours.

Surround yourself with the right people

The pandemic probably showed you who your real friends are and on which family members you can rely for support. When this is all over, you should clean out your closet and get rid of all people who are toxic, hungry for drama and opportunistic. Instead, surround yourself with people who are happy to see you succeed, who inspire you to be better, who support your passions, who allow you to live your best life.

Forget about expectations

Life doesn’t happen on your timetable and it doesn’t follow your plan, so make room for detours and obstacles along the way. Many times, when you let go of any big expectations, you will run into most rewarding experiences and most amazing adventures. Letting go of notions on how life should unfold will provide you with more freedom and passion towards the world, people, god and life in general.

Embrace mistakes

After the pandemic is over, make sure to try as many new things as you can. But, when you don’t have experience with something, expect to make many mistakes. For instance, if you want to try rock climbing for the first time, expect to fall, or if you’re learning a new language, expect to say something silly. However, don’t let that fear of failure and mistakes stop you from trying things and exploring your passions. Once you realize that mistakes are the key to success, you will become more open to messing up—just make sure to always get back on the horse and push forward.

Love the life you have

Before you start bettering your life, you also need to work on embracing what you already have. Cherish your life—you persevered, you pushed and you survived everything it threw at you so far. Your circumstances made you the person you are today, so be grateful. Try not to compare your life to those of others, but you can certainly let other’s lives inspire you to live more freely and passionately. Take a good look at where you are right now, embrace it, but be creative and bold enough to make it even better.

If we learned one thing from this pandemic it’s that life is precious and it should be lived to the fullest. Don’t waste your time living a life that doesn’t make you happy! Embrace adventure, unforeseen, unexpected, and you will see what wonderful things can come out of it. Once you start putting positive thoughts and experiences into the world, the universe will send even more love, excitement and adventure your way.

About the author:

Tracey Clayton is a mom of three girls. She feels she knows a thing or two about raising happy, healthy and confident kids. She’s also passionate about traveling, fashion and healthy living. Her motto is: “Live the life you love, love the life you live."