Last week I summed-up thoughts behind leaving Spain and moving back to Dubai. I want to continue that theme by ranting about all those people who have said to me “welcome back to reality”. (I’m not refering to readers of this site, but to those family and friends who have never understood why I moved to Spain).

So people, do you have any idea what you are saying? Where do you think I’ve been for the last 3 years? Living some exotic fantasy in the land of sangria? Well yes, but why can’t that be as real and as valid as any other form of life? It has been my reality for the last 3 years, a reality I chose. Just because my life was more bohemian than corporate or conventional, doesn’t mean I was living in la-la land or escaping responsibilities.

I know they say it with good intention, but it makes me so mad when people box “job”, “mortgage”, “car”, “family” and “security” into the “real life” category, and consider everything outside of that cool, but not normal. They make the last 3 years of my life sound like a mad, youth-driven adventure that of course, has to end. It was an adventure that doesn’t have to end, I’m choosing to end it because I want to. And isn’t adventure what life is about? Living, loving, experiencing, and learning? It is to me and always will be.

For the record, I’ve always had income during these 3 years — in other words, I’ve worked, and worked hard. Paid rent and bills. The difference is that I worked on my terms for the hours I wanted, so that I could spend the rest of my time traveling and immersing myself in different cultures.

It has been the most rewarding experience of my life and I wouldn’t change how I did anything. In fact, I will probably do this all over again in another country at some point. So there, take that and look into your own reality for a change, do you love it as much as I love mine?