When it comes to traveling the first step is the hardest to take. There is good reason for this. When you are sitting at home and you are settled into a routine, probably a routine that you have found comfort in for a long time, it can be almost impossible to conceptualize what life on the road will be like. You can see life up until that point, because up until that point you can pretty much guess what is going to happen, but when you think about traveling your mind goes blank.
The first step is the hardest because it is impossible to imagine life beyond it. It is also the hardest because every step you take towards travel, feels like a step that you are taking away from home. When you take the first step out of the door you leave behind everything you had, at least temporarily.
Why Is It Hard To Leave?
- Friends And Family- One of the primary reasons why you might find it hard to leave is because you have friends and family who you love very dearly. You are not going to be able to see them for a while. It is natural that this is difficult, but your loved ones will still be here for you when you need them, and when you return.
- Job, Lifestyle, And Routine- You never thought you would find it hard to leave your current lifestyle, the one that you couldn’t wait to be rid of, and now the time has come you feel a little saddened or anxious. This is only a reaction to you breaking out of your routine, and recognizing that new things are around the corner. Sure, you might miss your old ways, but change is a fundamental part of life, and travel brings it in the best possible way.
- Entering The Unknown- You might fee more comfortable if you were leaving one lifestyle for another, in a defined and fathomable sense; if you were moving to a new apartment and already had a job lined up for example. With travel it is a little different. You are entering the unknown, and facing the fear that comes with it.
The good news is, it is perfectly natural to feel scared and apprehensive, and to feel a whole bunch of emotions. Long term travel is a huge experience, and it is going to introduce you to a whole range of emotions that you never knew existed, as well as teaching you how to deal with them. The first step will always be scary. You just have to take it anyway.
For reassurance here are the reasons why you will discover, very soon after taking the first step into travel, that you had nothing to be afraid of all along:
- You are much more adaptable and responsible than you think. When you find yourself in that new situation, after you have taken the first step, you will know what to do. You will always know what to do.
- You settle into not being settled. In a way you will find some form of rhythm and routine in your travel. Your lifestyle becomes fluid and moveable. Over time you just get used to it. It is the norm to be in a new situation, and to meet new people often. It doesn’t get boring because it is always changing, but you will settle into it.
- People will look after you. Other travelers will be quick to identify with you, and offer you tips and friendships. In most countries locals, keen to assist you in your exploration of their culture, will be more than happy to help you out too. Pretty soon you will realize the extent of the travel community, and find homes away from home.
- You will realize that it isn’t that scary. The world just isn’t as scary as you imagined. Travel isn’t as scary as you imagined. In no time at all you will have forgotten your fears, and you might even struggle to remember what it is that made the first step seem like such a big deal.
