If there is anything I have learned in my months of living and working abroad it’s that a life of traveling is not perfect.
I’ve missed trains, booked the wrong busses, and gotten sick when I was supposed to explore a new city. I’ve run out of money, lived above the loudest bar in Florence, and been stressed out in ways my Instagram or blog would never reflect.
Just because you are living or traveling abroad does not mean that your life will suddenly turn into a fairytale. There will be good days and bad. There will be days when you are so happy you can cry, and times that are so difficult you find yourself actually crying.
So, if traveling for extended periods of time isn’t as easy as it seems to be on television, Instagram, or travel blogs, why do it?
You will grow. You will grow exponentially in ways you can’t even imagine. In my time abroad, I have learned more about myself than at any other point in my life. I’ve learned that I am capable of anything. That sometimes (often) things won’t go my way and there is nothing I can do about it. I’ve learned how to make lemons into lemonade, and that no amount of complaining will help fix a frustrating situation.
I’ve learned practical things too, like double-checking the name of the bus station before you hit “send” on the payment button. Or how to live on 50 Euro a week. I’ve taught myself how to cook, so I could live on 50 Euro a week. I’ve learned how to keep friendships alive from 6,000 miles away despite a 9 hour time difference. I’ve learned how to take care of myself in a foreign country.
For every obstacle I have faced, every rough day I have had, every time something didn’t go according to plan, I have learned something and grown from it. And that is where the real beauty of traveling lies. Its not in the incredible Instagram I got of the Alps, or the fun I had at Oktoberfest, or even the delicious food I am trying all over Italy, though those travel moments are beautiful too. To me, the real beauty in travel lies in the tough moments, and it is in those moments when you realize how tough you are.
Interested in sharing your own Travel Experiences? Shoot me an email at taylor_fuller@me.com
This is such an enlightening and thoughtful post, so full of truth! I agree with so much that you've said, travel really does help you grow. So many things will go wrong, as they so often can while travelling, but that's what makes the experience so life changing in the end! Sending love your way!
My Lovelier Days