How my Contiki in the US helped me to grow

Before my travels

At 21 in 2016 I travelled to Europe to meet my cousin to explore the continent together for 4 weeks, however my desire to continue travelling made me book an extra 2 weeks of solo travelling around Portugal and Spain. I was filled with confidence and a sense of adventure. I was much younger then and hadn’t yet experienced the trials and tribulations of life that only 6 months later I would. Looking back I reflect on how much of a kid I was, I surely didn’t feel like it but now as a 29 year old I would do anything to go back to feel that sense of innocence. 

In 2018 with a little more life experience, learning to deal with life’s ups and downs and living out of home with my best friend, I found myself lacking self confidence and questioning my future. The thought of travelling alone again terrified me. I was stuck in a rut, working full time, studying full time, all with the looming question: what will my future be?. At 23 I needed something to inspire and motivate me. So, with plane tickets purchased by my parents for my 18th birthday 5 years prior, I decided to be spontaneous and book a Contiki in Northern America. It was the one place I was dying to travel to for the longest time and thought it would be the best opportunity to motivate, inspire, and start a fire inside me that I hadn’t felt since the time I stepped on that plane for Europe 2 years earlier. 

Hello America

Once the trip was booked with my flights and my insurance, it was then up to me to gain the confidence to commit to the experience. I contemplated cancelling my trip but a voice inside my head continued to tell me to go. It also helped that I had somehow convinced my dear friend to come along with me for the start of my trip. The first few days travelling with my close friend around San Francisco and Los Angeles, began to ignite something inside me and provided a sense of comfort that I wasn’t alone. However the time came for them to leave to participate in their own tour. I waited in Los Angeles alone exploring the town before commencing my own trip. I was scared, nervous and apprehensive. I thought it’s not too late to turn around, my parents could come and get me. I could book a flight home and be in my safe space, but I continued on. Told myself to stop being crazy. How many people get to do this?

North American culture is completely different to Australia, the country I lived in for 23 years. I was accustomed to our own traditions, I knew the lay of the land, however now in this new place I had to challenge myself to understand the environment and people in an unfamiliar place. Many times I thought, just go back to the hotel, relax and read a book or watch a movie, but I carried on exploring the surroundings that the country had to offer. I caught a train to the Griffith Observatory, where I got to look through the telescope, explore the Hall of the Sky exhibit, stare at Hugo Balloons mural on the central rotunda and admire the view of Los Angeles. At the base of the telescope was this quote: “If every person could look through that telescope, it would revolutionise the world – Griffith J. Griffith.” 

The view and the quote paired together finally made something click within me and I realised I’ve got this. 

This time alone in LA built my resilience, it challenged me physically and emotionally. I was faced with language barriers, (the cilantro vs coriander debate), unfamiliar foods (the very bad coffee debacle), and unexpected circumstances that pushed me outside of my comfort zones (like trying to find my way out of LAX and getting lost on the trains).

Next stop… CONTIKI!

With a boost in my confidence, making my way to the iconic landmark alone, I started my journey to the first Contiki meeting, it was an opportunity to meet everyone before the trip started. I used to enjoy meeting new people, however this time around I was nervous. I entered the building alone and took a seat next to a group of girls. I listened as they talked, contributing to the conversation here and there, terrified to look around the room at everyone else. I am not sure why I felt this, our tour leader was wonderful, she was inviting, funny and had a sense of ease about her. 

The next day was the start of the tour. I hopped on the coach and found a seat next to a girl; Emma. I had met her the night prior. You never really understand the comfort of travelling with someone until you travel alone. She exuded confidence, she was chatty and made an effort to speak with everyone, her laugh was so infectious and I was in awe of her. She had already travelled 6 months prior and explored several countries, so she knew what she was doing. We made friends fast and got along instantly, she was from my home town and we quickly worked out that we knew some of the same people. She was beginning to make me feel confident and comfortable within myself as I was able to express myself without judgement. 

The drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas was 5 hours. 5 hours in which I thought I’d be sleeping became 5 hours in which I was making a fast friend, a best friend it felt like. Once we arrived at our destination we told the Trip Manager that we knew each other and arranged to swap rooms so we could be with one another – this, I determined a few years later – happened to be one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. You don’t realise it at the time but your Contiki roommate is so valuable, this is the person you are the most vulnerable with. You sleep in the same room as them, share your own personal space with them and form the most incredible bond. I was very lucky to share my space with my Contiki roommate. She boosted me up, challenged me and she ended up being the catalyst for an event that would change the course of my life. 

If I thought the Griffith Observatory would shift my point of view of the world, I had another thing coming. The next stop, the Grand Canyon, is a historical place where 1.2 billion year old rocks sit next to 250 million year old rocks. Some say that the Grand Canyon has magical powers, now I believe it truly does. It is the place where I met my now husband. 

The people you meet

After a full day of exploring the park the Contiki crew decided to meet at the front of our accommodation where the bus was parked. We were staying in a camp-like set up with cabins set up in horizontal rows next to each other and at the front of all the cabins was a large car park. Everyone grabbed a chair, some food and drinks and sat together near the bus. I had begun to make some friends thanks to my roommate and with my confidence building I decided to go along. As the night went on I started to speak to more and more of the contiki crew. Many laughs were had and the environment was relaxed and electric. We all played some games with one another and listened to the music. I moved from my chair to the floor to sit next to Karl. 

Karl and I sat there laughing and speaking with one another for what felt like hours. I couldn’t tell you what we spoke about but I knew I just wanted to keep talking to him. It was a feeling I hadn’t had in a very long time but I was drawn in just by his presence. As we got up to go to the bathroom we ended up in my room, and there in this room Karl kissed me. A kiss I had never felt before. Turned out that my roommate had followed us as she saw the connection we had. She pushed Karl into the room and ordered him to wait for me like a true gentleman.

Throughout the trip Karl and I became closer and closer. After that night at the Grand Canyon Karl saved me a seat next to him on the bus, from then on we sat on the bus next to each other every time. It was an experience similar to the pandemic where couples were forced to share space, time and every moment together. It was an opportunity to get to know another person on a deeper level. Yes there were times during this period I questioned what if this doesn’t work? What would happen if I didn’t like this person? 

I’m now stuck with them on a bus in a confined space that I couldn’t leave, but I never felt like that. I challenged myself to open up more and more to him. I found myself in an unfamiliar situation, but the challenge and potential outcome was worth the risk. At the beginning of my trip I questioned myself at every stop, but following my instinct got me this far and I had to continue to do so. Emma was a great friend during this time, she was someone I was able to confide in about how I was feeling and lean on. I was dealing with the challenge of travelling alone and also the challenge of forming a new relationship in an unfamiliar territory. 

Meeting yourself

Throughout my Contiki trip my point of view on myself began to shift. I entered the trip unsure of who I was or what I wanted but it provided me with the opportunity to develop a sense of self confidence, believe in myself, and enhance my self identity. I was travelling alone and although I had people on my contiki with me I could rely and depend on it was very easy to just listen to the self doubt that plagued my mind. Once I overcame that doubt, my world opened up and I was able to experience the magic and uniqueness of the tour. I could let go, have fun and allow for new opportunities to enhance my own life experience.

As I reflect back on my time before travelling I feel like I was a shell of who I had become after the trip. The experience allowed me to grow more than I ever anticipated or expected. Travelling provides us with the time and space to reflect on our own thoughts and emotions. It provides the opportunity to take a step back from our daily lives and really think about what we want out of life. If you’re feeling lost or unsure about your path in life, travelling can help you gain clarity and perspective.

Throughout my Contiki trip, I was able to step outside my comfort zone. They made it so easy to try new activities such as helicopter rides over the Grand Canyon or Swamp tours in New Orleans. Activities such as these allowed me to navigate unfamiliar territory and made me feel more self accrued and independent. 

Why travelling is important for yourself

Travel is an important part of my life now. My husband and I plan a trip at least every 6 months. We said I love you in Washington, celebrated Christmas in Tokyo, got engaged in Edinburgh. It’s so important to us that I am writing this article whilst on our honeymoon in Bali. I urge everyone to take a Contiki tour once in their life, it will provide you with the utmost appreciation of yourself, the ability to recognise shared humanity with others and provide you with a rewarding sense of self-reliance and self-confidence that will ultimately influence the person you become in the future. I was able to gain a clear direction of the person I wanted to become and stand strong on my own two feet when I arrived back home. You might even meet your soulmate whether that is your life partner, close friend or destination.