I don’t remember who I quoted when I jotted this down in my Notes app upon hearing it. (Sorry, someone; I doubt you meant to be “Anonymous.”) Simple, yet radical; it is our right as human beings to feel joy.

A similar (though less concise) version of this thought struck me on a vacation to Italy in August of 2021: my first “big girl” trip, for which I had taken two weeks off work, planned and researched, and paid.

After more than 10 days together, I took a break from my travel buddy to wander alone in the Parco dell’Appia Antica (Park of the Appian Way) – the literal original road leading to Rome. A pack of bikers went by saying, “ciao, buongiorno, ciao!” Wild parakeets (yep! bright green ones!!) flew across my path. Blackberries ripened in the sun next to ruins dating back to the age of the Antonines (II century AD). It was wild, and my aloneness made me feel like I was actually part of it.

Later, as I watched the fresh basil on my pizza turn from green to brown in the heat, I thought – why can’t life be like this? Why does vacation have to be a break from life, instead of life being the thing we want it to be?

It suddenly all felt so livable, so doable. I thought, the only reason I’m not living this life is because I have been busy living my other one. I decided I would come back the following summer for at least a month – this time, alone.

Joy is my birthright, after all. And it’s yours, too.

In this space, I am to share my experiences of joy, recommend them to you, and help you figure out how to save some money finding your own.

Strolling the Appian Way