The world is a place full of experiences to be had and things to learn. But not everything we learn comes from the places we visit but rather in the way we visit them and the journey we go on ourselves. If you’ve ever left the comforts of home, you will relate to these!
5. Crying is ok
Whether it is seeing a concentration camp from the Holocaust or you have, ahem, ‘something in your eye’, travelling anywhere gives you the freedom to express yourself, often more than you would in your home town. Maybe that’s because you are able to let go without judgement or maybe you are so full of life that you can’t help it, either way crying is part of travelling, and that’s ok. It means you feel things. Just remember to cry at the happy stuff too – sunsets through tears are even more beautiful.
4. You’re not alone
You may technically be ‘alone’ in the sense that it is just you on your trip, but you are not the only one who has ever, or will ever travel. People go all over the world and have experienced the same level of change as you have. Maybe not in the same way you are, but they know how you feel. And mark my word – they will be more than happy to re-assure you, or give a helping hand if and when the need ever arises. They will also be happy to share your happiness when you discover the one place on earth that your heart has been drawn to for ever.
3. Losing contact is ok
The people you connected with in college don’t have to be in your life forever. It’s perfectly natural to drift from people, especially if you’re not seeing them every day. If you have different interests then it is inevitable that you will slowly drift, and there is no rule saying you need to hold on. People who want to stay in your life will find a way, or will be waiting for all your stories the moment you touch down back home. There will also be friends you make along your journey that are much more alike to you than those at home, and there is no need to feel guilty if you spend more time messaging them than your college friends. You don’t need to collect heaps of friends either, just keep the ones who mean the most by your side.
2. The simplest things in life are often best
Although there is a hugely desirable factor in going to a fancy Persian restaurant in a new dress to finish off your week in the city of love (Paris, for those who didn’t catch my drift), there is also something to be said about getting a warm baguette and some cheese for a few Euro and watching the sunset over the Eiffel Tower. The most lavish things are not always enjoyable , or as memorable as the cheapest simple things you can do, in the way that fits who you are.
1. The person you are, changes
And as a general rule, the person that returns home is a far better person than the one you left as! You’ve had the chance to experience amazing things with new people all over the world and over time you work out what makes you smile and what doesn’t. Yes, it does mean that connections at home are lost due to different tastes and interests, but you will have like-minded friends spread over the planet to connect with, and places to stay if you ever want to get away again!
