My Birthday Post!🎉

Today is my 32nd birthday, and I finally understand why I'm here

📍Hanoi, Vietnam

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I usually plan my posts well in advance. I have so much to share, and I love order and organization, so it makes sense. This time, for this birthday post, something's different. I didn't plan it far ahead – I wrote it this week, not exactly today, but it's spontaneous. I waited for the right moment, for the right words.

Because what do I even write on my birthday?

I thought about all the people I've met who say they "don't make a big deal of it," that it's just another day, that's all. But how can you treat the day you came into the world as just another day? You're the only person for whom this day is inherently meaningful. It's part of who you are, part of what you are, and if I remember what I learned from the Mayan in Mexico, it's also part of your purpose.

Recently, I came across my "pinned post" again, the one that has been at the top of my Facebook page for two and a half years. The first post I ever wrote, the first window into my soul. I realized that despite mentioning the Maya tradition, I had never checked my purpose in their calendar, so I immediately did.

I found various interpretations, because ultimately it's astrology, and there's no single definitive truth. But I found a lot of myself in what was written there. For example, people born on my date serve as a bridge in society, as they lead through inspiration rather than authority, and understand things that remain unsaid.

When I read this, it felt like someone was simply explaining my life to me. As if I'd discovered something about myself that I'd always known, but now, it was gaining order and meaning.

At first, I was confused and thought my purpose was to inspire people to travel the world. But what I'd most like is to inspire people to do whatever they've always dreamed of doing. In my case, it's wandering the world, but each of us has a different dream. And dreams aren't meant to stay in drawers – there's a reason we want what we want.

I recently realized that I am a bridge. I came to this world to connect people with places. Initially, I would call myself a 'conduit' – someone who transmits information, landscapes, and experiences. But only now do I understand that it's much more than transmitting information. It's bridging. It's making the distant feel close. It's efficiency. It's progress. It's the right thing to do.

I wonder if that's why I have an inexplicable attraction to bridges, and every time I climb one, I get strangely excited. I probably identify with them.

This birthday, at 32, I'm celebrating while living the life I've always wanted. It still doesn't feel real to me, I still can't believe it. When I look back at my life, I understand that I embarked on this journey at exactly the right time. All the pieces of my life aligned so that my soul would be ready, because deep inside, I always knew I wasn't built to stay in one place.

I tried to fight this urge because my environment taught me there was only one path, and it was to work, get married, have children, and that's it. I thought I would have a happy life if I traveled a bit, took vacations. But I wasn't happy. Because it wasn't enough for me. I wanted more from life, I felt that it couldn't be that I came to the world just for this.

Now, looking at my life, I can only be thankful that I found the courage to listen to my heart and to trust myself even though I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't leave home with clear knowledge, with an organized plan to become a digital nomad and live on the road. Not at all. I just flew, "let's see what happens," I thought to myself. And today, I understand that I paved my way to the life I always wanted. What greater gift could I ask for myself? I'm living my dream.

Just this week, I achieved another goal and reached $100 in support, in less than a month since I told the world I believe my writing is worth money! Thanks to people who chose to support my journey, who saw the value in my words, who saw the meaning in my path.

What I can ask for is your help to continue doing this. For years, when asked what I wanted for my birthday, I would answer "I don't know" and always be disappointed with what I received, because it was my fault (or so I thought). In recent years, I started asking clearly, pointing exactly to what I wanted, sending links to people who love me, thinking they would want to make me happy.

But I was still disappointed, and that was the only way for me to learn that I need to take responsibility for my life, and not rely on anyone when it comes to my happiness. This year, I'm making myself happy. My gift to myself is a day cruise in Halong Bay, one of the seven wonders of the world. Don't worry, it only cost me $55, a modest gift.

But that's not the real gift.

Today, on my 32nd birthday, I'm giving myself the greatest gift I've ever dared to give myself - recognition of my own value.

I'm announcing with immense excitement that I'm opening the paid subscription option for Substack!

This is a huge step for me. I'm essentially shouting to the world: "I'm ready for the next stage in my life!" Ready to turn my passion into a real profession. Ready to give my digital nomadism, my writing, the inspiration I'm trying to convey - to give them a place of honor in my life and in the world.

It feels as if suddenly my body and soul are completely aligned. As if the long road I've traveled, all the doubts, all the moments of self-doubt, all the attempts to hide my true desires - all these led me to this exact moment. To the moment where I declare: "Yes, my dream is worthy, my path is worthy, I am worthy."

Opening paid subscriptions isn't just a business move. It's a statement. It's saying that I believe in my path enough to ask others to invest in it. It's understanding that my words create real value in the world, and that there are people who benefit from them, who find inspiration, comfort, or passion of their own in them.

And from you, if you've read this far, I can only ask that you continue reading, continue following my story, continue being partners in this journey. And if you feel my words enrich your lives, and if you want to support the dream of someone who dares to live her own way, I would be grateful if you joined the paid subscriptions.

And me? I'm sure I'll continue, because I simply have no other choice. I'll continue exploring the world, continue writing about my experiences, and continue bridging different worlds, because that's my destiny in this world. And your support is what gives me that little push of faith that sometimes we all need.

So tonight, I'll blow out the candle on my birthday cake and make one simple wish: to continue doing exactly this - exploring, writing, bridging, connecting worlds. Because I've discovered that rare thing we all search for - my path, the place where dream and destiny meet. And today, with the opening of paid subscriptions, I'm not just walking this path - I'm building it, expanding it, and inviting you to walk it with me.

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Last year, on my 31st birthday, I wrote about the transformation I went through - how I stopped waiting for others and took responsibility for my celebrations. From a party on the 89th floor of Melbourne's tallest tower to turning my wish list into a list of personal goals, I shared how I realized that birthday happiness depends on me, not on expectations from others. Read the full post here.

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The most meaningful birthday gift for me is knowing I can continue creating connections between worlds. Every bit of support, big or small, helps me continue this journey and bring you more stories from distant places.

Thank you for being part of my Journey! 🧡

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Who Am I? | The Journey Through Time | The Daily Journey

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