Travelling might just be the antidote that frees us from the prison we place around our perception of what is true and what is our opinion of this truth. Isn’t it interesting that the more we grow, the more we get out and explore the world, we realize that the more we know the less we know.

Knowledge is one of the most powerful ways we can equip ourselves to help us on our journey. But knowledge is something that must be sought out, it is something that we must work for. It is not something that can be found within the confines of our own comfort. We all live in the space between expectation and reality, it is our instinct to attach a fantasy with information. Human beings are dreamers, our sheer will can move mountains and has throughout the course of history. It is what has allowed us to evolve into the modern era we live in today.  

However this limbo between dream and reality can be a delicate dance when it comes to travelling, especially when we are doing it alone. We have been conditioned to attach emotions like excitment and hope to something like travelling because of the opportunity it provides us, the chance to discover something new. When we travel solo, it frees us from any constraints, obligations, or attachment we may be carrying. It is symbolic of a fresh start, a clean slate. The rush of meeting new people and deciding what or who you want to be, where you want to go, what you want to discover. All of these things are exciting even when we’re with those we love, but when we’re alone we are completely in control of how we choose to spend every second. Some might say it’s a little selfish, but one could argue it is the most selfless thing you can do.

To take a leap of faith and rely on no one but yourself while you discover parts of the world that feed your soul and help in rediscovering pieces inside you that you may have completely forgotten about or didn’t even know existed; is the boldest and bravest example we can give to ourselves. Of course the part about travelling no one likes to talk about is perhaps the most crucial, when nothing works the way you thought it would. When you’re sitting at the airport at 2 am because your flight was cancelled, when you’re meeting people who can’t speak any English and you have to try to figure out a way to mutually understand each other. When you have to keep moving and carry on despite the obstacles you must climb over to get to your destination.

The times when you want to pull out your hair, scream, cry and swear to never travel again. These are the golden moments where the growing happens. These are the trying times that make us choose to give up or get back up and try again until we succeed. These are the moments we look back on and later understand the reasoning for it all happening. That all those things needed to happen, because it brought you exactly where you are standing right now.

Travelling solo forces us to take off our own personal lenses and try on a new pair for size through someone elses’ perception of the human experience.

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