Travel. It's an idea which so many of us dream of and yet so few people go ahead and make it a reality. If you're waiting for a good time to go, don't. There will never be one and you'll never leave. In fact, the longer you put it off, the more reasons you'll find for why it's a terrible time. Remember that boyfriend, that flat and that job you had tying you down in your twenties? Well all of a sudden they've become a husband, a mortgage and a baby which from what I hear, are considerably harder to negotiate with.
Travel. We met so many people along our way who have never had the chance to leave their hometown but my bets are that if you're reading this, you aren't one of them. This time last year when I'd just booked my tickets, I was overwhelmed by friends telling me how lucky I was. But whilst I'm very lucky to have grown up in a stable family in a stable country with plenty of opportunity, in the context of my friends who all have the same thing, luck played no part. We're in the same boat here and if you want to make travelling your priority, all you need to do is begin to live within or beneath your means; shop less, drink less and be mindful of putting your money towards things which are genuinely important for you. Do this and you'll soon find you have more than enough money to fund yourself for a few months away.
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Travel. So why should you make it your priority? You know the quote: Life is a book and those who don't travel only read the first page. Well, as cringe and as cliché as it might sound, I've never heard a truer word. There's an entire world out there that's waiting to be discovered so why limit yourself to just one side? Go and explore the unknown; try new foods, dance to new music, meet new people and immerse yourself in entirely new cultures. Maybe you'll love it, maybe you'll hate it but how do you know until you've tried?
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Travel. Break free from your bubble, disrupt your routine and allow yourself to really live. Travelling's not about escaping life or even necessarily changing it, rather just taking a time out to sit back and acknowledge how wonderful it is. Because it really is! Rid yourself of the negatives, detox the dramas and all you're left with is stacks of potential for amazing opportunities. Life should be enjoyed, not just endured but when you become too used to the same routine, it's easy to glaze over the every day wonders and let weeks pass by unappreciated. On the contrary when you have the freedom to make every day remarkable, it's astounding the things you'll come up with to make that happen.
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Travel. Of course there are hard times. There's nothing fun about lugging your twenty kilo backpack on two sunburnt shoulders through blistering heat, in search of a hostel that potentially doesn't exist. Make no mistake, this is not a year long holiday. But these difficult and challenging times are all part of the experience and we often found that we willingly brought them upon ourselves. We hiked up volcanoes, trekked through mountains and spent thirty hours on a long haul bus, each time knowing that it would make us a better and stronger person. Now, whenever I'm fed up or struggling with a task, I need only to say to myself: Chiara, you climbed Rinjani, and all of a sudden I find an extra bit of strength. I'll carry that with me forever; I can do it, I've overcome worse.
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Travel. The most important thing to remember about those difficult times is that they're never served without a slice of perspective on the side. Faced with that big, wide world, your own problems and in fact your entire being suddenly seem incredibly small; not only in size but severity too. When you've witnessed how the other half live, your idea of 'difficult' really starts to shift. Who are we to complain about being tired when there are children wandering the streets at eleven o'clock at night begging for food? Or pregnant women up at the crack of dawn walking for four hours to the nearest village for water? Looking at your life through travel tinted glasses, it seems pretty peachy even at its worst. First world pains aren't pains at all; they're not even pin pricks on the grand scheme of things so whatever happens, I now know I've got a pretty good deal.
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Travel. Perhaps the most amazing discovery throughout my travels, is how people with a crap deal cope regardless. Try telling the kids playing soccer with a coconut that they're supposed to be miserable. Or the families dancing in the street that they shouldn't have the energy. Watching others enjoy life against all odds has been a real eye opener to the fact that we're all responsible for our own happiness. There was a point where I worried that I'd never be happy returning to a gloomy London, but it's inspiring to now know that as human beings, we can make happiness happen anywhere.
So travel. It makes you a better person, your world a better place, and your dinner party anecdotes a lot more diverse. Travel now, travel far, travel hard, just travel! There will be plenty of time for thinking later.
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