Don’t be afraid of the World: Discover it!

Travelling, what a word, what an adventure. It sounds exciting but it can also sound scary. Why are we so afraid of leaving everything behind and just go? What is so scary about stepping out of our comfort zone? So many people say that they would love to drop everything, jump on a plane and start the travel of a lifetime, but why so little people actually do it?

Messico: Tulum

Messico: Tulum

It is not easy, of course. But more often than not the limits are only in our heads. “I need money to do it!” of course you do, but not as much as you think; “I don’t want to lose my job” well, maybe they will take you back once you are home again, or maybe not, but nonetheless there are other thousands of job positions out there for you; “I’m afraid of wars and terrorist attacks” fair enough, but there are many peaceful places out there as well, just waiting for you to explore them; “My family doesn’t want me to leave” it’s okay, they will get used to it and they will also probably be your first supporters talking about your whereabouts all the time to whoever is willing to listen; “I will miss my friends” if there is a great tool in the 21st century it is the internet, thanks to all the existing apps you will be able to constantly keep in touch with them… sometimes even too much, leave me alone to enjoy my trip, will ya?; “I have responsibilities here” yes, pretty much all of us have but, you know, sometimes it is okay to give yourself a break, it will definitely help you to clean up your mind and face them with firmer hands once back home.

17.05.27-28- Isla Del Sol, Titikaka, Bolivia(96)

Bolivia: Isla del Sol

And aren’t these all only excuses? How many people have you heard of who regretted travelling for longer than the few “normal” days of vacation granted by their job position? None. And they were different and better than you how? Exactly, they weren’t. Or you don’t travel because you are simply afraid of everything you heard on TV? Well, sure, shit happens. A plane could go down, a bomb might explode in the Christmas market you are shopping at, your luggage might get lost or stolen, the hostel you booked on the internet might not exist… but what needs to be clear in your mind is: these are the exceptions, not the rules. These events happen only to a minuscule portion of people.

On the media there are bad news all the time, every single time you turn the TV on there is something nasty going on somewhere in the world. Of course there is, the world is huge and a good news, newsflash, is not a real news (and gossips about celebs really dating other celebs don’t count). Nobody –really- cares about the panda cub born at the zoo, Justin Bieber finally getting a decent haircut or the new commercial centre opened around the corner. Bad news are what really sell so that is what you are going to hear. But that is no reason to be afraid of stepping out of your door. All you have to do is to be sensible and not to look for trouble: avoid the war zones, bad neighborhoods, going around looking like you have lots of cash on you, travelling with fancy (and 99% of the time useless) stuff … it’s easy, the world is out there, ready to be grasped, don’t ask yourself too many questions, don’t overanalyze every step, follow your instinct and your heart, look on travel guides, ask for suggestions to people who have already travelled, ask yourself what you would really like to see, pack up your things and GO.

16.10.24-25-Ger,Gorkhi Terelj National Park,Mongolia(242)

Mongolia: Terelj National Park

The true danger – and surprise- about  travelling is finding out how easy it is to stop worrying and just do it. So easy that, when you have started, it is like a drug you are forever addicted to. Once you are out the door you feel like a lifetime would not be enough to see everything the world has to offer and you crave going on forever. You meet myriads of people, make countless unplanned friends, taste a million diverse flavors, touch dozens different cultures and see colors, so many colors you feel like you have been living in black and white until then.

Another surprising thing you learn while travelling is that the barriers between one culture/country/”race” and the other are walls we put up ourselves and are easily knocked down by a warm smile, a friendly handshake, a direction given for free or a hot meal offered out of genuine altruism. While away from home every and any little helpful thing given or received selflessly will make you feel at home wherever you are.  And it is almost sad how amazed you feel when you discover how many nice people there actually are out there. Because there are, so many.

Australia: Sydney - Cooge

Australia: Sydney – Cooge

And some of them might become friends that you will keep for a lifetime, friends that will text you “hey, what’s up?” once every few months, friends who will come and visit you in your home country, friends who will treat you as a part of their family, friends you will treasure forever. And when you have friends all over the world and you have seen many different corners of it, you become conscious that, no matter where other people live, what they have for breakfast, what god they believe in, what they wear… they are not that different from you, it is then that you realize that we are all citizens of the same big place: the world. So, what are you waiting for? Start your adventure, start your life as a traveler, be a World Citizen.

Author: Chiara

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