Gay American pharmacist with HIV considering backpacking through Europe to rebuild my life — advice?
Hello all, I’m a 39-year-old gay man from the US, and I feel like I’m finally stepping off a life path that was chosen for me years ago. I went straight from high school into university and eventually became a pharmacist/pharmacy manager. Most of my adult life has been structured around responsibility, stability, and taking care of others. Over the years I moved for work, for love, and for family. In the last few years, I lost both my parents and the person I thought I would spend my life with. It forced me to realize that I don’t really know who I am outside of the roles I’ve always filled. So now I’m considering something that feels both exciting and terrifying: backpacking through Europe for a while and intentionally rebuilding my life from scratch. Part of me wants solitude and self-discovery. Another part of me wants connection — hostels, international friends, queer spaces, conversations with strangers, and experiences outside the very controlled life I’ve always lived. A few practical details: I’m American I’m HIV positive (stable/on treatment) I’m exploring possible Polish/EU citizenship through ancestry I have enough savings to make this possible for a while I’ve traveled before, but never in this kind of open-ended way I know this probably sounds cliché, but I genuinely feel like I need a hard reset before I wake up at 50 still living a life that doesn’t feel like mine. For those who have done long-term travel, queer travel, solo backpacking, or major life reinventions: What do you wish you knew beforehand? What mistakes should I avoid? How realistic is this emotionally vs. romantically idealized? Any HIV-specific travel/medication advice in Europe? Any countries/cities that were especially good for healing, community, or self-growth? I’d appreciate honesty, even if it’s difficult to hear.