'thanks for sharing! I definitely loved how personal this was and I hope you keep writing; you're an excellent writer."
Thank you!! :-)
"but the thought of abandoning ALL hard-earned roots is terrifying. How did you deal with that?"
For me, the time in my life when I was traveling I didn't have any roots, the knowledge I was gaining and my passions were evolving so rapidly that people (including myself) could scarcely recognize my past versions. This naturally led to a 'falling out' of old relationships as we weren't able to connect anymore. The things I used to enjoy, didn't satisfy me anymore. For example: Where drinking and vapid banter was once enough to excite me, I now felt uneasy and restless in these situations. I often found myself craving to read or build a better me and avoid these interactions altogether, this also contributed to the dissolving of old relationships. I decided the person I wanted to become, the person I believe I am here to become and I devoted my time to that.
The thing is, I always wanted to retain the relationship. In almost every case it was the other person who felt like they didn't relate to me anymore. So, in that sense it wasn't really my direct choice to 'abandon those roots', it was an unintended consequence that helped me along my path.
"How did you deal with that?"
I didn't 'deal with it' in the sense that it was difficult. It wasn't. I loved the process of being untethered to recreate myself. That was a time in my life where I was undergoing radical changes in who I was. It would have been nearly impossible to retain-close ties with anyone. This was an aspect I cherished. However, once I got to the point where my changes were less drastic and I had found my baseline I began creating relationships again. This was natural, and the relationships I formed at that point have been the deepest and most meaningful in my entire life. These relationships have helped propel me down my path, supporting the new person I am and helping make life more beautiful.
So, to answer your question, I found that when I followed my heart and passions I didn't feel like it was a sacrifice as the gain always outweighed the loss. :)
I hope a bit of my perspective is able to help you to better understand your path. :)