Laura Hohmann
The way we approach travel is so important. It's something that, if you approach it right, can rock your world in ways you never knew existed. It can leave you a changed person forever, craving more than what you left behind. I know for myself, I want my travel experience to be one that's imprinted on my mind forever.
The key that can make or break your trip is your mindset. Let's call this a travel bubble. Do you have a tendency to stay inside or outside of your travel comfort zone?
When you find a destination you want to visit, do you go to all the recommended and best known spots on Trip Advisor? Check them off your list, snap a quick picture, then move on to the next listed tourist spot? Or do you revel in finding out about local culture, tasting the local cuisine, getting to know how the people live, what it is about the city that makes it tick, finding out if it makes you feel alive or relaxed?
Do you find spots that are part of ancient history? Learn about marine wildlife in a local reserve? Or go out and immerse yourself in the nightlife?
Do you stay on the known path or prefer to deviate? Is your itinerary strict and inflexible, or do you live for finding something awesome on the way that makes you stop and explore?
Do you know the significance of the popular landmarks you are so eager to get a picture of, but then quickly leave?
You don't have to take every walking tour or visit every museum to get to know a city. Just merely walking through the (safe) streets can teach you something. If you decide to see a place for what it is - to journey off the beaten path and realize that the seemingly unremarkable beauty of the surroundings could actually be what makes it truly beautiful - you will begin to shed many layers of your travel bubble.
To come out of this travel bubble may seem like a hard thing to do. It might be because of how set in our ways and thinking we are, or it might be from literally thousands of years of social conditioning. These things are hard to break from.
If and when you finally do, you might look back and think, "how the fk could I have ever thought that way before?"
I urge you to let a place seep into your pores, immerse yourself in it, and don't look back. It has the potential to take you so far out of your comfort zone that it will break you into a new person.
This might already be you or it might be something that's never crossed your mind. Maybe you yearn for this kind of understanding. Those who are fortunate enough to be able to take these kinds of journeys will tell you, vulnerability is what connects us to people and experiences and leaves us open to uncertainty. They welcome new possibilities and opportunities. If we put ourselves out there, there can be massive growth.
Don't let fear keep you from listening to your wandering heart.
When we travel to a new place, especially abroad, we have to be socially conscious and aware of local people, their practice as well as their social constructs. This is their home and they are truly what makes a place unique. We have to adapt in order to fully benefit from our destination in the best possible way. Seeing a location through a local's eyes can be a life-changing experience.
If we aren't aware of these things, our time there could go seriously wrong, and could leave us feeling unfulfilled or with an unmemorable experience. I don't think we realize how much these factors influence our time in a place.
The whole point of being open is to let your travel experience enrich your life. If you let it, it can open your eyes to a world you never knew about. It can change your thinking for the better. It will shift your being. It can give you a sense of perspective and being grounded that you wouldn't have had before.
We are curious, beautiful human beings. We all deserve and desire to learn, grow, and be fulfilled in that which we are passionate about.
To foster that desire, we've formed a community for travel and called it
Millennial Travel Bible.
Together, we can appreciate and grow from the lesson that the world can teach us.
So.. what are you waiting for?
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