5 Things I learnt in my first year of independent travel…
Age: 18-19 Years Old
Countries: Canada, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar
The experiences you have, the friends you make and the insights you gain are impermanent. In retelling them to friends and family at home they crystallized in my mind. I remind myself they are always in my heart. I try not to reminisce and know that all the experiences I had gave me the opportunity to know who I could become.
People judged me by my age. Some assumed naïvity, many were shocked, and many treated me with greater respect. If you want a more neutral experience, feel free to lie about your age.
The hardest part about travelling wasn’t not finding friends, missing home or losing my belongings. It was getting off the flight and coming ‘home’ to ‘reality’. Knowing that that reality was no longer the only one.
Wherever you are, surrounded by thousands, or alone in a room, I felt lonely at times. Without this loneliness, I didn’t appreciate connection when I felt it. I learnt to become my own best friend (sad right), but know this, everyone feels alone more often than you think.
I learnt the world is never just what I thought. The most valuable lessons I learnt were to: listen (truly) to others, open my mind and always to keep exploring ✨
