Learning about the world, discovering herself

For Liepa, travelling started with childhood bus trips around Europe and gradually became something much bigger — a way of discovering the world, stepping outside her comfort zone and learning more about herself along the way.
From Albania and Spain to Belgium, Japan, Morocco and the United States, every journey has brought a new experience, a new perspective, or sometimes simply a reminder of something she had forgotten about herself.
Now, at 22, Liepa is continuing to explore the world while building her career in marketing. She believes you do not need to have everything figured out before taking the first step. Sometimes, you just have to be curious enough to see where it leads.

Tell me your story.

I’m Liepa, I’m 22 years old, and my love for travelling started when I was little, when my parents took me on organised bus trips around Europe. We would spend hours on the bus and sometimes visit places for just 30 minutes, but I still looked forward to those trips every year. I truly fell in love with travelling in 2022, when I went to the mountains of Albania with a friend, met locals, cooked traditional food with them, and discovered the country through their stories. Later, during university, I went on an exchange year in Spain, where I realised that I prefer slow travel — staying longer and really getting to know a country rather than trying to see everything in 10 days. Now I’m on my fourth exchange experience, doing a marketing internship in Belgium, and feeling incredibly grateful for where travelling has taken me.

What was your life like before?

Before travelling became a big part of my life, I was stuck in the same routine. School, swimming, music school, home, and repeat. Everything was familiar and comfortable, but I started feeling like I was living in the same loop every day. I knew there had to be more to life than that, and I did not want to stay in my little bubble forever.

What made you want to change your life?

I think that feeling of being stuck in the same routine made me want to see what was outside of my bubble. I wanted new experiences, new people, and places that would challenge the way I saw the world. When I finally started travelling more, I realised that this was exactly what I had been looking for. It made me want to keep exploring and see where the world could take me.

What are the biggest lessons you have learned from travelling?

One of the biggest things travelling has taught me is that you do not have to have everything planned. Some of the best experiences happen when you leave room for the unexpected. Once, while walking around Bruges in Belgium with no particular plan, I ended up being invited to a harp concert for free. I got to meet the artist afterwards and have a conversation with him. It ended up being the most memorable part of my whole trip, even more than all the famous attractions I visited. It reminded me that sometimes the best travel experiences are the ones you never planned for.

Have you discovered or learned anything new about yourself?

Definitely. Travelling has helped me discover so many new sides of myself and even brought me back to parts of who I was as a child. In Morocco, I tried surfing and realised how much I love being in the water. It reminded me of how much I loved swimming as a child, even though I had stopped doing it. In Japan, I joined different craft workshops where I made paper fans and chopsticks and discovered that I am actually quite creative. And in the United States, seeing fireflies for the first time made me appreciate nature in a completely different way. I love that travelling keeps giving me these little discoveries about myself.

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

Honestly, I would not change anything. I do not regret any of the choices I have made because every decision has brought me to where I am today. Even the choices that did not go exactly as planned taught me something and led me to new experiences. I am really happy with my life right now, so I would not want to rewrite my story.

Is it scary to embark on life adventures?

For me, it is actually exciting because I am curious about what is waiting for me. Every new adventure brings new people, places, and experiences, and I know I will learn something from each of them. I would rather take a chance and see where life takes me than always wonder what could have happened.

How do you prepare for your trips?

It really depends on the trip. Sometimes I am the person who plans everything in advance, and other times I book a ticket and figure things out along the way. I usually do some research beforehand, especially about practical things, but I try not to plan every minute. I like leaving some space for spontaneity because you never know what you might discover along the way.

What are the most wonderful things about living here?

I moved to Belgium for six months for my internship, and even though I have only been here for a month, Antwerp already feels like a city I could easily get attached to. I am still discovering it, but I already have a few favourite spots. There is this Turkish bakery on my way to work that I started going to regularly, and I have already gotten to know the owner. I love little things like that because they make a new city feel more personal. It is nice when a new city starts feeling a little bit like home.

What has been the hardest part of living this way?

I think the hardest part is having to say goodbye. I’ve already moved to four different countries through my exchange experiences, and every time, just when a place starts feeling like home, it is time to leave. You get attached to the life you have built there, so saying goodbye is never completely easy. But I’ve learned to appreciate each chapter and carry the best parts of it with me.

What advice would you give to people who dream of living this kind of life?

I would say, do not wait for the perfect moment. If you keep thinking about travelling, studying abroad, or trying something completely different, take the first step. You do not need to know exactly where it will lead. Just be open to whatever comes your way, trust yourself, and, most importantly, have fun.

What are the first steps to take when preparing for your life adventures?

I think the first step is to figure out what you want and then start looking for opportunities. For me, it meant looking into exchange programmes, internships, and places I wanted to experience. You do not need to have your whole life planned out. Sometimes one small decision can lead you somewhere you never expected, so just take the first step and see where it takes you.

What are your plans for the future?

I definitely want to keep growing in marketing and gain more experience in the field. At the same time, I want to keep travelling and discovering more of the world. South America is high on my list, so I would love to spend some time travelling around the continent. I do not have everything planned yet, but I am excited to see where the next chapter takes me.

Follow my journey on:

https://www.instagram.com/liepa.kaniusaite