As a college-age woman, I've always heard the notion that we need to travel while we're young and seek out adventures. But the idea of going somewhere completely unknown gave me knots in my stomach. Obviously, there are a lot of nerves involved for anyone traveling somewhere new, but my perception of traveling abroad was hard to get past. This was discouraging for me, as I've always been under the impression that leaving the country was something I should do. After all, the concept of "wanderlust" was a condition all girls my age seemed to identify with.
This past school year, I had the opportunity to study abroad. It was only a two-week stint and I figured that was short enough for me to handle. The thought process went a little something like, "Two weeks in a country I have no prior knowledge of? Sure! I have wanderlust, of course."
Except, I don't.
As the process of applying went on and I had my orientation, I became suddenly and painfully aware that my anxiety was paramount – there was no way I was even stepping near that plane. I retracted my study abroad application and was left with a tiny sense of comfort knowing I was "safe" now.
I was disappointed in myself. I rationalized my feelings of dread by telling myself that not everyone is meant to study abroad and see the world – it's overrated, right? I started to wonder what was wrong with me. Why didn't I have this itch to see different places other than my home? Instead of having an overwhelming sense to "wanderlust" I had crippling anxiety that wouldn't even allow me to leave my home state.
A few months later, my best friend invited me to stay with her at her home in Arizona for a week this summer. Without even thinking, I said yes. By agreeing on a whim like that, I didn't even think about the fact that I had to get on a plane by myself at one point. As this reality set in, I started feeling some of the leftover anxiety from my study abroad mishap. However, knowing that I was traveling with my friend reassured me far more than my previous trip did. This small comfort helped ease some of the doubts I had, which lead me to mentally prepare for the biggest adventure I allowed myself to take in a while.
Surprise, surprise – the trip was totally fine and I had a great time. Even leaving the state to see neighboring ones can show you they can be just as different as countries. I didn't really know what I was so afraid of now. Traveling isn't hard once you let yourself try it out. With it being so easy, 'I thought about how I could do it again – maybe if I want to move somewhere after I graduate, I can totally do that too. With this new mentality, I realized leaving your comfort zone reaped more rewards than you can prepare for. Of course, I will probably still be worried about every little detail when I travel in the future, but at least now I know that I can do it.
