More Scenes from the Movie of My Life
Following my previous post, I invite you to watch a few more selected scenes from the movie of my life. Each scene reveals another layer of my personality, another piece of the intricate puzzle that makes me who I am.
Lights, camera, action... here’s the extended preview.
Scene Five: Self-Discovery
📍 Playa del Carmen, Mexico | October 2022
Everything happens at the right time, and I see clearly now that starting this journey at this moment, not at 21, as I had originally wanted, was exactly what I needed. I needed all the stepping stones along the way, all the people who reflected parts of me to myself, all the lessons that taught me to truly know who I am.
I didn’t know myself until recently. I had been so busy pleasing others and putting myself last that I realized others knew me better than I knew myself. It shocked me that people noticed my habits and behaviors when I had barely paid attention to them myself.
Like a first date, I couldn’t confidently answer the question: Who is Maya? Until I stopped trying to please people. Until I started saying no, setting boundaries, and asking myself—What does Maya want? That’s how I truly got to know myself, my body, and my mind.
After almost 30 years in this world, I finally decided to give my soul what it wanted most—to buy a one-way ticket and pack a suitcase. The rest would figure itself out.
🎬 Behind the Scenes: It might sound cliché, but setting off on this journey did force me to understand myself on a level I never had before. When you're in a new place, stripped of all familiar surroundings, you suddenly have to decide who you are. I remember a specific moment sitting on a beach in Tulum, staring at the ocean, when I realized I didn’t have to define myself through others’ eyes anymore. It felt like I had just lifted a thousand-ton weight off my shoulders.
Scene Six: Personal Space
📍 Playa del Carmen, Mexico | November 2022
I miss the smell of Ben Gurion Airport. There’s something about it that fills me with a familiar warmth, like my mom’s cooking—it’s impossible to be indifferent to it.
As a solo traveler, I hear a lot of “Wow, so brave! I could never do that.” And I always wonder—why not? Why is doing something alone considered brave?
I’m not just talking about flying. I do so many things alone—going to the beach, bars, parties—anything I feel like doing. It took me a while to realize there was no reason not to do what I wanted, just because no one else wanted to join me. Why should I be dependent on someone else?
Over time, I understood that this isn’t the only reason people avoid doing things alone. Most people are simply bored with themselves. They constantly need entertainment, distractions—anything to keep them from sitting alone with their thoughts. Looking inward can be scary. You might discover things about yourself you don’t like. So they choose to avoid it altogether.
🎬 Behind the Scenes: My whole life, people have asked me, “Aren’t you afraid of being alone?” But the truth is, being alone is my natural state. I don’t just cope with solitude—I don’t even experience it as loneliness. Sometimes I think of it as a superpower I was simply born with. I’ve turned personal space into a place of strength and self-discovery, and my presence is enough for me. Maybe that’s the greatest gift I’ve received for a life of nomadism.
Scene Seven: An Israeli Woman in the World
📍 Perth, Australia | November 2024
Being an Israeli woman traveling solo around the world isn’t always easy. Sometimes, when people ask, “Where are you from?” I hesitate—not out of fear, but because I know that answer alone could change the entire course of the conversation.
In some places, my blue-and-white passport sparks fascinating discussions. People are curious, wanting to hear about the real Israel, not just what they see in the news. And in other places, it's better to stay quiet, to listen more and speak less.
Israeli culture has shaped me in ways that are sometimes hard to explain. There’s the bluntness that can come across as rudeness, the ability to “figure things out” in any situation, the yihye beseder (“it’ll be fine”) attitude ingrained in my DNA. But there’s also the resilience, the deep compassion, and the strong urge to help others—qualities that stay with me wherever I go.
🎬 Behind the Scenes: My Israeli identity is like a supporting character in my movie—sometimes in the spotlight, sometimes in the background, but always present. It has undoubtedly shaped my worldview. I’ve learned that my Israeli mindset is a gift, even when it challenges me. The resilience, resourcefulness, and adaptability—these are essential tools for a nomadic life. But I’ve also learned to soften my directness, to listen more, and to understand that not every culture speaks in dugri (straightforwardness).
Scene Eight: Life with ADHD
📍 Auckland, New Zealand | January 2025
Living with ADHD while traveling the world is a unique challenge. It’s like playing life on expert mode—triple-checking every flight booking and still sometimes getting a letter wrong in my name, forcing me to call customer service to fix it. Or booking an activity for the wrong month and thanking the gods for free cancellation policies.
In conversations, I sometimes feel a bit “slow”—not because I have nothing to say, but because the answer is somewhere in my brain, and I just need a moment to find it. Trust me, I’m opening every drawer in my mind right now—just give me a second.
But there’s an upside—my naturally creative brain thinks outside the box effortlessly. It sees connections others miss and generates ideas at lightning speed. It makes my journey all the more exciting, even if a little more chaotic.
🎬 Behind the Scenes: My ADHD is like a drunk film editor—sometimes it splices scenes together in genius ways no one else would think of, and sometimes it just turns everything into a chaotic mess. I’ve learned to love both sides of it. I truly believe my creativity is a direct result of my brain’s ability to “jump” between topics. It allows me to see connections and patterns others might overlook. But it also means I have to plan extra time for everything, double-check details (at least twice), and be forgiving when I inevitably mess up.
Scene Nine: Behind the Blunders
📍 Manila, Philippines | February 2025
Nomadic life isn’t just Instagram-perfect moments. Sometimes it’s missing flights despite all my experience, or losing clothes after sending them to a laundry service in Mexico.
Or trying to build my own website over and over, only to realize I needed to do it myself, or take the universe’s hint and finally start a Substack (okay, I get it now).
And the worst? The times I got ripped off. Like when I paid too much for a flight or a boat ticket just because I confused Australian dollars with US dollars.
But in every one of these moments, I learned something. I became more aware, clearer in my communication, and more confident in standing my ground. I’ve learned when to let go of a battle and when to fight to the end.
🎬 Behind the Scenes: I joke that my life is basically a series of embarrassing travel blunders—luckily, only some of them are documented. Everywhere I go, I have a story about a ridiculous mistake that cost me money, time, or dignity. But thanks to my transparency about these slip-ups, people feel comfortable sharing theirs with me. And so, a kind of secret society of “travelers who messed up” was born. And honestly, there’s something freeing about that.
To Be Continued...
Open Ending
How will my movie end? I have no idea. And that’s the best part. I’m not just the main character, I’m also the director, the screenwriter, and sometimes, even the editor, rewriting scenes as they unfold.
This blog isn’t a polished photo album- it’s a raw, behind-the-scenes production. And who knows? Maybe the next post will surprise us both.
Want to start from the beginning? Visit The Journey Through Time and discover how it all began.
Want to join the journey in real-time? Jump into The Daily Journey and read the latest stories.
Lost your way? Perfect! Visit The Journey Compass if you still want to find yourself.
Your support helps me keep experiencing new worlds and sharing them with you through my words. Sometimes, a single cup of coffee can make a difference.
Thank you for being part of this journey.