When you think about embarking on an adventure, you only think about what you’ll be taking with you; not much thought goes into what you’ll bring back with you, or the you that you’ll bring back.
When I left, I had no idea about the world, about responsibility, money management, organisational skills….anything really.
Having to book everything yourself, accounting for budget and time scale, fly by the seat of your pants to cope with the many unforeseen mess ups, and make the most of the roller coaster ride, it is a practice run for life.
Besides the obvious, there’s the social skills and self confidence you pick up, and all the amazing things you learn about the world and the amazing humans that inhabit it. The things that challenge you, like if you’re a fussy eater, or have creature phobias and are in exotic parts of the world, or more direct things like sky diving, bungy jumping or swimming with sharks, facing and mastering these fears and challenges make you a stronger person and give you the confidence and perspective you need to deal with the banalities and niggling problems of daily life without letting them get to you.
If I can jump out of a plane at 12,000 ft, I can probably give this ten minute presentation.
Carrying your life on your back, if you’re going for a backpacking trip, teaches you LOTS about packing, and possessions. It has to be functional to earn a ride, because it is not fun dragging crap around on your back all the time. You view things not by how stylish they are, or how cool they are, but whether you really genuinely need them. Whether a bulky item can be used as a pillow as well, if the tech is really necessary or it’s just going to stress you out worrying if its been stolen or lost, or how many pairs of underwear you really need if you can take them in the shower with you to wash them. I became a minimalist when it comes to stuff, and I treasure things like ticket stubs and tickets, carrying precious memories, a lot more than the things we don’t really need.
And of course, there’ll be that sunset. That mountain range, trail, hut, forest, glacier, fjord. That whale, dolphin, penguin, shark, condor, eagle. That sight that hardly anyone in the world has seen.
Something like you’ve never seen before and that feeling in your chest of being truly alive. That evening with the best new friends, and old ones too. The new cities, cultures, customs, music, food, challenges. Freedom.
I can’t stress enough how valuable it is to yourself to get out into the world. If you start small, or embark on an epic round the world trip, either way you’re in for something incredible and the most expansive learning curve ever. You’ll come back being a much better, smarter, awake, aware person than you left. It is almost indescribable.
Go..
Girl & Stars 