FRom suitcases to solo adventures: what i've learned about the world and travel

The past two years have been a whirlwind for me, especially when it comes to how I spend my free time. My first trip abroad happened at the end of 2022, so seven countries and three blog posts later, here we are!! It went from packing two suitcases for a week, to using a backpack for five weeks. What a time. I feel like I could make travel a part of my personality or something. 

Really, with the few adventures I’ve been on, along with some on- the-side character-building in my personal life, two years has had the effect of many more. I cannot express my gratitude for this enough. This time has been full of adventure and growth, and I would love to share a few things I’ve gained along the way. Here they are: 

1. People are people, no matter where you meet them. You might be thinking that’s obvious, however, the more you meet people you have less things in common with, the more important this becomes. You’re able to make connections with people that don’t speak, act, dress, or live the same as you. Some might say it’s harder to connect when you don’t have as many commonalities, but I would argue the opposite. It’s hard to not make connections, because you know everyone is motivated, discouraged, and longs for the same things you do (yes, I was a psychology major, but this is just the tip of the iceberg for  what I love to talk about). For me, this makes interacting with and meeting people way less scary while traveling. 
   
2. While traveling, if you choose to do so, you will meet people with a variety of traveling styles. Not everyone desires to live out of a single backpack and bounce around borders for weeks on end. Some desire adventure and spending time in remote areas, while some don’t mind braving the crowds to reach their favorite sights. While I will probably find time for most kinds of travel in my life, not everyone else will. There will be a time where budget backpacking is nowhere to be found in my travel plans, and even now I desire my own space sometimes. I prefer a quiet, scenic countryside (preferably with a mountain view:) over any of the major cities (Tokyo, you’re still on my list!). In summary, there’s no reason for us to hold ourselves to a certain standard. We don’t reach the title of “traveler” after you’ve visited 48 countries, it happens as soon as you step outside the places you’ve already been. 
   
3. While traveling solo, your lows will have you doubting everything, but your highs will have you convinced you’ll be telling the story to your grandkids in 35 years. Having a wrench thrown into your plans will feel ten times worse when it’s happening across the world, as opposed to your home town. While there’s a lot that we can prepare for, getting sick, missing a flight, losing belongings, or any other scenario can force you to fully depend on yourself, maybe even for the first time. However, you might find that, when pushed a little bit, as awful as it is at the time, you’re capable of more than you normally give yourself credit for. Just having to adapt to, navigate, and manage a somewhat normal routine while in a new place will allow your mind to grow and form new connections. This was definitely the case for myself, when I experienced something you fear the most while traveling – I missed a connecting flight (I haven’t gotten sick while abroad, and if I did, it would top this for sure). When something you’ve always dreaded while traveling happens, and you manage to make it through, it can boost your confidence and perception of yourself to a whole new level. However, I don’t think I could ever fly through the same airport without feeling any anxiety, but onto our next point!
   
4. Where you live is not the center of the world. Now this point will have two ideas. Your hometown is not the center of the world, but neither is your dream destination. You might find it to be absolutely gorgeous, with even better people, cuisine, or you fill it in, but it might be an awful place to live. I don’t believe there is a perfect place to live either (but I’ll let you know if I find it). The more you travel, you’ll realize the grass is quite literally always greener on the other side. Yes, people that want to move to Europe, I’m looking at you. I would love to move there too, but every place has both its strengths and its weaknesses. I intend to always have appreciation for every destination I travel to. I recognize that there are so many places that will have norms, foods, and other things that I simply enjoy. What is traveling if you’re not learning and growing while doing it? 
   

Have you traveled? What have you gained from it? If you discover places as wonderful and as fascinating as I have, I would love for you to share about them. This post was short and sweet, so if you’re looking to read more from me, my social media is linked below. There’s lots more to come, and I would love to share it with you, so stay tuned. 


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