Travel To Find Your Life’s True Path
Don’t let life pass you by
“WE TRAVEL, INITIALLY, TO LOSE OURSELVES; AND WE TRAVEL, NEXT TO FIND OURSELVES.”― Pico Iyer
As a 22 year old fresh out of college, I travelled to China for an adventure on my own. I only a thousand dollars saved up and no job lined up. It was the boldest thing I had ever done. I loved every experience but what changed me the most was having the ability to lose myself.
So often, when you live in one place your whole life, surrounded by the same people, you have a very myopic view of your life and yourself. You listen to those around you and experience a sheltered life. It then becomes quite easy to internalize what others say about you, and in turn, make it your identity.
It’s not until you step out of this bubble that you have the space to challenge and change this identity to one that is more true to yourself. I’m not saying travelling is the ONLY way to do this, but it sure is a magnificent way. Travel can be your greatest teacher.
For Inner Growth
When you go about your daily routine you become very comfortable. When you become comfortable, you stop challenging yourself and your growth gets stunted. When you travel, especially when you travel by yourself, you face challenges each day.
You grow while trying to communicate in a foreign language or figuring out public transportation systems. Participating in thrilling adventures push you to grow and see your true capabilities.
When you face these challenges head-on, you become much more confident and strong. It is through these experiences that you grow exponentially and become aware of your limitless potential. How will it feel to go white water rafting or zip lining in a foreign country even though you were terrified? It will feel like you reached a new depth to your growth.
To know you faced that fear and how much strength it brought you will stick with you for the rest of your life. To travel and to grow is the greatest gift you can give yourself.
To Not Let Life Pass Us By
How many people do you know that dream of going to a new country but never get around to doing it? I find it difficult to accept the concept that we are to work a job we don’t like to pay for all our often unnecessary material possessions. Once we attain the big homes, updated cars, or new phones we save a small amount with the hopes of retiring. We save and work as if we will live forever.
How many of us are guaranteed retirement or even good health in our old age? None of us is. To wait to travel is the biggest mistake you can make. To miss out on these life experiences and to wait to see the magnificent beauty of this world is to miss out on life itself. It is to miss out on building beautiful memories to be cherished in our old age. But most importantly, it is missing out on the experiences that could mould you and inspire you to live a more courageous and abundant life.
A life you will be proud to have lived.
Moments of Awe
“He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.” ~ Albert Einstein
What are your most memorable moments of awe? I can guess that a good amount of those moments happened while travelling. There have been more studies on the effects of awe on an individual in recent times. Studies show moments of awe can have lasting mental and physical health benefits. It also can make you perceive time as expanded.
Moments of awe enhance your creativity and can make you feel like you have more time. Who wouldn’t want more time? Keltner and Haidt wrote a paper on the power of awe and its ability to transform lives. According to the psychologists, “experiences of awe can change the course of life in profound and permanent ways.” When travelling, moments of awe are inevitable. It’s a life-changing experience to see new lands and horizons, to experience new cultures, and to soak in the beauty of different landscapes. To Be Inspired
In life, inspiration can be hard to come by when you are stuck in one place. Travel has inspired me to dream bigger and to listen to my inner voice. It’s taught me to surround myself with people who understand my dreams. For this, I would say solo travel is very powerful.
When you travel solo or in a small group, you are bound to meet people from all over the world with unique goals and dreams. There’s something about the power of travel that unites people and creates friendships quickly.
When you meet people with different perspectives and views on life, you can reshape your view of the world. There’s nothing more encouraging than meeting a tribe of people with your same goals and views on life. I’ve been challenged like never before from people I’ve met while travelling.
To Continuously Face Our Fears
When we travel we are constantly facing our fears. For me, these fears include feeling in danger in a foreign country. Or being completely removed from my comfort zone and environment. When we travel and face our fears we get into the habit of not listening to said fears.
We become wiser and much stronger. The more we face our fears, the less likely we will let them stop us in the future.
I’ve noticed time and time again that when I travel and come back home, those fears start creeping up again. At home, I am less likely to challenge myself and settle down to the feeling of comfort. If I wait long enough, I start to identify with my voice of fear. I may even start fearing the unknown so deeply it becomes paralyzing
Time and time again, I push those fears aside and travel anyway. Not surprisingly, once I get to my destination, I am so happy I didn’t listen to those fears. If I did, I would have missed out on incredible experiences.
When we do things despite our fears, we win and fear loses. We grow instead of shrink and experience moments that change us forever.
Final Thoughts
Travelling is not about seeing new places or taking the best pictures. It’s about embracing change, facing fears, and becoming a better version of yourself. Travelling can be a time to look for answers within. To guide you or push you to live differently.
My 6 months in China transformed me. They made me believe I could do anything. Most importantly, they gave me the space I needed to reflect on my dreams without outside opinions.
After those 6 months, achieved things I never thought possible. Through travel, I found myself and become a better version of myself. It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever given myself.
“WE TRAVEL, INITIALLY, TO LOSE OURSELVES; AND WE TRAVEL, NEXT TO FIND OURSELVES. WE TRAVEL TO OPEN OUR HEARTS AND EYES AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WORLD THAN OUR NEWSPAPERS WILL ACCOMMODATE. WE TRAVEL TO BRING WHAT LITTLE WE CAN, IN OUR IGNORANCE AND KNOWLEDGE, TO THOSE PARTS OF THE GLOBE WHOSE RICHES ARE DIFFERENTLY DISPERSED. AND WE TRAVEL, IN ESSENCE, TO BECOME YOUNG FOOLS AGAIN- TO SLOW TIME DOWN AND GET TAKEN IN, AND FALL IN LOVE ONCE MORE.” — PICO IYER