The Year I Didn’t Travel Internationally And Why I’m Actually Okay With It
- Zahra Khan
- Jul 25
- 2 min read
If you told me last year that I’d make it eight months into 2025 without a single international trip, I would've laughed. For the past three years, my passport barely got a break. I was always packing, always catching flights, always chasing the next adventure.
But this year? No stamps. No exotic itineraries. Just a suitcase permanently half-unpacked from all the domestic work travel I’ve been doing. And surprisingly… I’m okay. Actually, I think I needed this.
When Travel Becomes a To-Do List
There’s a point where even the most beautiful things become exhausting. For me, that was travel.
I’ve missed flights. Slept on airport floors. Done back-to-back trips with zero recovery time. I’ve pushed my limits with extreme adventures all solo in countries I once dreamed of visiting. I’ve gotten sick in unfamiliar cities, with no one around to grab medicine or even just sit with me. And I did it all while also flying out for work every month, living in hotels, constantly packing and unpacking, smiling through client meetings in unfamiliar places when all I wanted was rest.
Trust me when I say this, it all sounds glamorous on Instagram. But living out of a suitcase slowly chips away at your peace.
I miss my home. I miss my routine. I miss waking up in my own bed and knowing exactly where my favorite mug is. Such an underrated thing.
The Places That Once Lit Me Up
The truth is, I’ve already visited so many of the places that once gave me butterflies: Paris, Istanbul, Barcelona, Vancouver, Iceland, Japan... I went. I lived it. And I’ll always be grateful for those memories.
But now? My heart craves something different. I want to go somewhere slow. Somewhere soft. Like Maui or Bora Bora or Santorini, Maldives, Fiji, Bali’s quieter side, those kinds of places where going alone just feels… illegal.
You know what I mean? Those are the places that deserve presence. That deserve stillness. That deserve good company.
So my priorities shifted. Not because I don’t love travel anymore, but because I’m learning to honor the seasons I’m in. And in this season, I am tired of working my full-time job and managing a business so I need peace and relaxation on my vacation.
Stillness Is a Destination, Too
For once, I’m not chasing the next trip. I’m chasing myself. I’m choosing rest. I'm choosing routines that ground me. I’m pouring into my peace and building a life I don’t feel the need to escape from.
And maybe that’s the most radical kind of adventure there is. Until next time, Peace 💖
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