Sometimes, rebellion looks like secretly applying for new jobs from your desk at work.
Or, sometimes it looks like putting all your sh!t into storage and moving to the tropics. And then finding a rusty, old cannon to sit on with your beach-soaked hair flailing in the Caribbean breeze.
Done it and done it.
The canon wins every time.
Whatever an act of rebellion looks like to you, Iâm willing to bet that we have all fantasized about throwing obligations over the edge of a cliff during a life-affirming hike.
But somewhere along the way, you realize youâre âmidlife-years-oldâ, youâre disgruntled with your job, and a loaf of bread now costs sixty dollars because itâs 2024, yâall.
Or worseâŚyou realize you donât even like hiking.
Wildhood Wanted is about squeezing in your cardio by running from adult responsibilities.
Itâs about living a little bit recklessly as if you donât have a care in the world, even if you do.
Itâs about finding pieces of beauty in every situation, even if your current situation is a cluttered life you no longer wish to be part of.
Thereâs no such thing as too much happiness, too much magic, or too many grand ideas. But there is such a thing as losing sight of those things under the weight of responsibility and the almighty to-do list.
Commit to finding your Wildhood a little bit each day, and then letâs go look for some cannons to sit on or some obligations to throw away. Because thereâs more to life than admiring perfectly straight vacuum tracks in your carpet.
Who writes this newsletter, anyway?
It is written by Kristi Keller, a woman who is revisiting the art of investing in oneself. Everyone should be doing it. Itâs all the rage right now.
If youâve arrived here without a clue who I am or why you came, thatâs okay. Youâre not supposed to know. I mean, why would you?
Suffice it to say Iâve been writing on the internet since before blogging was mainstream. And Iâve been sitting on rusty cannons formerly used by pirates since 2003.
For over a decade, I had only been recognized as a one-trick pony. My trick was travel writing and my pony saddled up in 2011 when I dumped the corporate grind in exchange for the high life, trekking across Jamaica 36 times. They even gave me awards for this stuff!
But then the universe yelled, âPLOT TWIST!â So I shouted, âHA! New story!â After that, my writing became abundantly splattered all over the internet in genres I never dreamed Iâd become friends with.
How Wildhood Wanted fits into your life:
This bloggish-looking publication is bursting with a good, old-fashioned community vibe we all love but canât seem to find on social media anymore. Just look at the comments section on any post and youâll see what a lively bunch we are!
Wildhood Wanted is a reader-supported commonwealth full of encouragement, incentive, and creative ideas for life and travel that you can totally steal and run with, should you choose to.
Whatâs behind the paywall?
Almost all posts are free to read because Iâm generous and I love my people! The option to upgrade to paid is always offered because I believe in a creatorâs right to prosper!
Having said that, if you do happen to come across a paywall, please consider it an invitation rather than a boundary. Anything I publish behind a paywall will either teach you a skill, or a craft, or will provide you with a key to the holy travel grail.
BRAND NEW for 2024
Iâve been making threats about this since launching but had to wait it out because everyone needs a new bomb to drop at the start of a new year, right?
Whether youâve been subscribed for a while or youâre brand new, youâve undoubtedly noticed that 90% of my travel essays mention Jamaica. Thatâs because I wasnât just a travel writer, I specialized in one destination for a long ass time.
Beginning in 2024, subscribers will not only have access to all regular (free) content in Wildhood Wanted, but Iâll be laying out exactly what this âdestination specialistâ lifestyle is and offering the opportunity to develop and hone the craft for yourselfâŚin ANY destination.
Iâm calling it, Your Other Passport and itâs the handbook every destination lover needs to create a spectacular lifeâŚ.somewhere else!
This is not your typical newsletter. It is hosted on Substack, a writing platform that has its own app and built-in social community. I highly recommend taking the plunge and becoming a full-fledged âStackerâ by downloading the app:
When you subscribe, new posts will hit your inbox on Tuesday mornings becauseâŚ.ughâŚMondays.
Plus, you can read all past issues on the homepage, right here.
