How I started my travels

For as long as I can remember, I never truly enjoyed school, I only enjoyed the social aspect of it all. So eventually, when it came the time to pick what I wanted to study for university, I became extremely overwhelmed and spiralled into anxiety and worry about my future. Nothing interested me enough that I wanted to pursuit school for it, let alone work in that field my whole life. And the idea of working a 9 to 5 office job terrified me, profoundly. I was curious about the world, about what it had to offer and I refused to let the unknown stop me from potential opportunity and passion. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always told my mum I would never live full time in Canada, because I absolutely cannot stand the winter and why grow old somewhere you’ve been growing up your entire life?  At the age of 19-20 I booked my first solo travel around Southeast Asia, and right away, the thought of having a near future plan had me absolutely motivated. I was looking forward to something, I was excited to go out there and meet new people, learn new things, discover myself. Never did fear occur to me as an emotion. The idea of the unknown has me thriving. When I started travelling, when I took my first plane, it clicked. It just did. No words can explain the feeling of what went through me at that time but a weight was lifted off my shoulders. During those three months, I did not plan anything at all. I barely had any idea where I was going. I met some people there, and stuck with them for a while. Met new people along the way, stuck with them for a while. And it went on and on and on. Some days I was by myself, some days I was on a bus for 15 hours, alone. Some days I was partying on the beach, others were spent alone sick in a foreign bed. Never did I miss home, felt lonely or doubtful. And that proved a lot to me. Proved that the anxiety I had about my future had been a good enough driving force to push myself to get out of my comfort zone. I figured I was able to figure everything by myself, when the time was right. I don’t have to worry about anything, at all. The days went on, the friendships developed, the self growth happened, as tacky as it sounds. 5 years later, I still don’t have a career, I still don’t have a single worry and I still plan my day pretty much the mornings of. 


Travelling has taught me so much more than school ever did. I think that because I was learning through real interest, of my own accord, the information just passed better. No one forced me to learn so many new things, it just happened. Through conversation, through curiosity, through people, through plans. You learn a lot of geography when you’re planning a trip. You learn so much more about a new culture when you immerse yourself in it. Not having expectations also helped me a lot. I was never too much into planning far in advance, I hadn't looked at many pictures, booked many adventures or done research,  so nothing took me by surprise or disappointed me. My mind was so keen to appreciate everything and to be grateful, that is exactly what it did. 


Travelling has brought me so many positives, that I made it my mission to help people get out there and appreciate the beauty of this world. I wish everyone would experience tears of joy while looking at a sunset from a foreign beach, to have goosebumps when they reflect on their travel journey and just be filled with gratitude. It's wonderful luck to be living at a time where travelling is so accessible, affordable and safe.

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