The first time I took the driver’s seat on a long road trip we spent more time lost than we did making progress. The first time I flew by myself, I lost my boarding pass. When you decide to start exploring new worlds things will go wrong. But this is exactly why you should do it anyway.
Stepping out of your comfort zone is scary. When you decide to embark on a journey to a place you’ve never been, you are stepping into uncertainty. But this uncertainty is where things can become great. When you step off a plane- whether it’s a new city, a new country or a new continent- you get to experience a new world. Maybe you’ve stepped into a new culture where you hear new languages, new smells, and new sights. This foreign territory allows you to experience other cultures and ultimately can broaden your perspective of the world. You can discover that people live differently, and immerse yourself in their lifestyle to know that different doesn’t have to be scary, and that change can be beautiful.
RELATED: Travel Outside Your Comfort Zone
Anthony Bourdain said that “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts. It even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you.”
So without further ado, if you want to grow as a person and leap outside of your comfort zone and have decided not to make your go-to vacation an all-inclusive beach resort we have some cool ideas for how you can start exploring new worlds;
Visit a place where the people speak a different language:
Don’t let your fear of not speaking the language hold you back from experiencing what the world has to offer. There is no better way to leap outside of your comfort zone than to go somewhere where communicating effectively isn’t guaranteed. You can learn that a huge part of communicating with others is body language and if you are willing to embrace the confusion and be okay with looking a little silly, you will be perfectly fine. But to make the process slightly easier remember that google is your friend. Prepare for your trip by learning a few phrases like “please”, “thank you”, “hello”, “toilet”, and “where is”. Also, write down the names of the city and your hotel in advance and be willing to show people where you are trying to go. Remember, smiling and tone go a long way.
Take a road trip with a final destination but a flexible schedule:
Load up your car and pick a place. Know your end goal but be flexible about how you get there. Do you see a cool food truck on the side of the road? Stop and enjoy it. A city with a funky name- stay for the night. Make this trip more of an experience by taking the road less traveled. Highways can get you from point A to B quickly, but you’ll miss so much along the way. A great way to experience the world is to drive places you’ve never been and have the courage to embark on unfamiliar paths. So prep your playlist and be willing to take that detour.
Backpack:
One of the best ways to see a large quantity of the world on a limited budget is to backpack. Choosing to spend some time experiencing life at lower than your usual living standard will give you strength, confidence, and the opportunity to meet some incredibly cool locals and travelers. It allows you the chance to fully immerse in your surroundings. A key to committing to a backpacking trip and the growth that will come with it is to be flexible. Be okay with living without a timetable. Do you want to eat at random times? That’s great. Do you want to stay an extra night in a new city? Perfect. Backpacking allows you to operate without a schedule and open your mind to actively choosing what you want to do in each moment.
When you explore new worlds, you don’t just gain content for your Instagram, you will gain confidence, you will learn amazing things about yourself with a new broadened perspective of the world. It’s challenging and scary, but also so great. I know I haven’t lost a boarding pass since that first solo flight. So grab your passport and start planning that adventure. I promise it’s worth it.
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