The Journey That Changed Everything

by Isabella Clarke

I bought my Samsonite suitcase on impulse. It was a gloomy Tuesday, and I had just quit my job. Not because I had another one lined up — I didn’t — but because I had realized I was living someone else’s version of success. The suitcase was cherry red, hard-shell, and unapologetically bold. It felt like a commitment to a life I hadn’t dared to live yet.

Three days later, I was on a plane to Lisbon. No return ticket, no hotel booked — just the Samsonite and a heart racing from equal parts fear and excitement. That suitcase became my mobile home. In it: two dresses, a book I never finished, too many chargers, and a little notebook titled “Figure it out.”

Portugal was my first stop, but not my last. I danced barefoot at a beach wedding in Croatia (even though I didn’t know the couple), got hopelessly lo