I once met someone who might have become a good friend…were it not for my pessimistic “realism”. Rather than reciprocate his friendly goodbye of, “perhaps I’ll see you around” with something optimistic addressing the chance to meet again, I responded with something along the lines of: “probably not”.
He was offended, and rightly so. My close-minded outlook on life kept me from seeing the possibility of ever meeting again under any circumstances.
Solo travel changed that. I’ve met incredible people who I know will stay in my life. People who’ve connected with me on a deeper level despite the fact that we spent only a few days together. Over mere days, I’ve developed bonds with incredible humans who have taught me so much about worldly things. It’s opened my eyes and given me hope and encouragement to be better in life. Although I picked rather tame destinations, solo travel was intimidating…especially a full month of navigating abroad on my own. But I am so glad that I did and you can bet I’ll be doing more of it in the future. Sad that my travels are coming to an end, but so thankful for the experience. I love the friends I’ve made and am grateful for the relationships formed in these past weeks. My heart is full.
The Travels of a California Millenial 