I'd always wanted to go somewhere where no one knew my name. When I finally did it, I discovered that I got to be exactly who I wanted to be – myself. Travel makes me happy. Fact. But over the years, I've realised that it's also taught me HOW to be happy. Here's how...
#1. Be yourself
Have you ever stopped yourself from saying or doing something because you were worried about what others might think? Yeah, me too. It took a while to realize it, but that rush of happiness that travel gives me doesn’t just come from breathtaking views and delicious food. It comes from being in a place where I don’t have to think twice about how people might perceive me.
I can voice my opinions, be silly, share embarrassing stories or say yes to adventures that I’d normally say no to back home. You know the saying, “dance like nobody’s watching” – well, this is what it feels like, except that instead of dancing, it applied to everything.
In the past, this magical boost of self-assurance didn’t last long. When my vacation was over, I noticed that I’d revert back to the introverted version of myself. The second I realized this split personality change, I started working on ways to maintain that same carefree spirit on a day-to-day basis. Whether I’m meeting new travelers in the Caribbean or having lunch with friends in my hometown, I want to be myself and be confident about it. Travel has paved the way for me to do this. Don’t get me wrong, my introvert instincts kick in from time to time, but I can come out of my shell a lot more easily nowadays.
#2. Break out of your comfort zone
If rules are meant to be broken, so are comfort zones. I don’t know about you, but when I travel, I purposely do things that make me uncomfortable.
For example, I don’t know how to swim (insert crying emoji here), yet I’ve volunteered to do countless water activities that terrified me. I used to be a vegetarian and am not the biggest fan of meat, but I have tried local dishes that contained ingredients I wouldn’t willingly try had I not been in a foreign country (e.g. grilled impala in South Africa).
When traveling solo, I make friends by walking up to groups of other travelers and introducing myself. Mind you, I always have a half hour “Should I do it? Should I not do it?” debate with myself before mustering up the courage!
What I’ve learned from all of this is that every time I conquer a fear, it makes it easier for me to not only approach new challenges, but welcome them. So like the “be yourself” lesson, I push myself to break comfort zones in my everyday life. Once you get into the routine of doing things that make you uncomfortable, you end up feeling invincible.
#3. Be grateful
I feel that I’ve always been grateful for what I have, but not to the same extent after having visited second and third-world countries.
Both my parents are Salvadoran, but I didn’t visit El Salvador until my early twenties. That trip was a game changer. I went back home with a question playing on repeat – how lucky am I that my parents met in Los Angeles, California and not while they were both living in El Salvador? The thought of how drastically different my life would be, had I been born in any other country other than the US, gives me goosebumps.
If I had been born in El Salvador, I would not have had the same education, I would not have had the same career opportunities, and I most definitely would not be writing this article from Sydney, Australia right now.
This trip wasn’t the typical sitting on a beach, sun bathing and sipping on a coconut type vacation. This trip changed my outlook on life. It was an intriguing feeling that I strangely wanted more of, so I decided to visit other countries like this and learn about the unique lifestyles that people lead there. One of the most memorable travel experiences to date was my time volunteering as an English tutor in Laos on my last Contiki trip. If you’re ever in Luang Prabang, Laos be sure to stop at “Big Brother Mouse” for some volunteer work. It might bestow you with some great insight like it did me.
So, when you’re weighing up the pros and cons of booking your next trip, remember that some of the biggest pros may not even become apparent until long after you’ve returned home! In the words of Henry Miller, ‘one’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.’