Wandering with Kals
From saving lives to chasing mine.
Introduction
Hi, I’m Kali (Kay-lee)-but people call me Kals. I left both of my jobs as a critical care paramedic/firefighter, moved out of my home, booked a one-way ticket to Europe, and walked away from everything I thought I’d be at 31. It’s my first time being single in a decade. It’s also the first time I’m not “on shift,” running toward chaos to keep someone else alive.
This trip? It’s been a decade in the making. When I was 21, I mapped out this same journey but never took the leap. Life, love, and the job always came first. But now, it’s me.
Follow along as I figure out who I am without the uniform, the relationship, or the schedule. I’ll be sharing my honest experience-from beautiful hikes and cultural surprises to loneliness, growth, and the messy middle parts no one talks about.
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You guyssss- I have found my forever home! Like I’m some lost puppy looking for my forever. I do feel that way a lot of the time. I don’t really know where I belong, but I think it might be Seville, Spain. Do I say this about every city? Seville is everything. She is the…
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Sometimes the universe cancels your plans so it can hand you something softer. Oh Valencia. My sweet, sweet Valencia. It feels crazy to love every single place I go to. Is that normal? I absolutely loved Valencia. It’s a very beautiful and charming city. I’m so happy I went in the off -season. I stayed…
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Okay yes….I left Bordeaux when I wasn’t even halfway in the healing process from my broken ankle but hear me out- it was so worth it. I feel like I’ve become alive again. I feel like the old me, who I was before I broke my ankle, except that’s not entirely true. I feel braver,…
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HI strangers. I am still alive, believe it or not. I’d say some moments don’t feel that way, but that would just not be true. I’m in France, backpacking through Europe, and fulfilling a decade long dream. Even with a broken ankle, I still have never felt more alive than I do here, now. I’ve…
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It’s been a roller coaster the last few days. Both physically and emotionally. I think I have finally worked through each stage of grief and it’s been exhausting. As you probably know, I fractured my ankle on Sunday and today is now Thursday. This morning I woke up hopeful. I woke up feeling thankful and…
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Sometimes the universe doesn’t whisper- it breaks your ankle and sits you down in the middle of France. I don’t even know what to really say right now if I’m being honest. I just knew I had to grab my laptop, open my blog, and type. I have to get these thoughts and feelings out…
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I really wanted to write this post when my emotions were raw on the train from London in Paris but I was so tired and emotional that I didn’t want to write just out of pure emotion and heartbreak. Although I’m still feeling pretty heartbroken at the moment. I guess it hasn’t been that long.…
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Okay y’all…I’m finally leaving Brugge, Belgium. I only had three nights booked originally and ended up extending my stay twice so I ended up staying for 9 nights. The only reason I’m even leaving after 9 days is because I’m on my way to go meet someone. 😉 It’s for the best I had other…
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Well hello there strangers! It’s been awhile. My besties flew in from America and man have we been busy! Olivia, Kaden, Chloe, and Roger who are all my friends in Eau Claire, flew to Denmark for their friend Freddie’s wedding. They extended their stay so we could meet up while they were over here. I…
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I arrived in Munich after a 6.5 hour train ride and I was exhausted. And starving. But too exhausted to force myself to stand up again after I had already made it to my new hostel room and sat down. Immediately one of my hostel mates started to chat with me. His name was Mckenzie…