Traveling has taught me that nothing ever goes as planned. One day you’re sitting in the kafana (coffee shop) with your cousins laughing and the next day you suddenly wake up to turn on the TV and see that there’s a coup in the airport you’re supposed to fly out of in 10 days. You have no Internet to cancel your hotel booking and look for a new one-way ticket home. You start to forget all the reasons why you wanted to travel in the first place and the only thing on your mind is coming home. You think, “Why did this have to happen to me?”
Flight delays, getting lost in the city, language barriers —
they don’t phase me anymore. But when I was faced with the possibility of not being able to come home safely, I completely lost it. I can deal with the whole “not-getting-to-see-your-family-every-few-years” thing, but not being able to go back to my other life? In the back of my mind, I knew I would get a new ticket home. When plans change last minute, the best thing you can do is be patient and go with the flow. Maybe I’m overdramatizing the situation here, but this entire trip has got to be one of the most difficult, yet rewarding things I have ever done.I started this trip with my mom, which was very special considering the last time we took a trip together I was a small child. Before we left, I purposely booked a different return date so I could explore as much as possible and really sink my teeth into traveling. My mom left after three weeks because she had to go back to her job, but we eventually adjusted to being apart. To be fair, I wasn’t completely on my own; I had all of my family. At the same time, I was kind of alone in a way —
I wasn’t able to see my closest friends from back home for nearly two months.Traveling has taught me the importance of being independent. At the start of this trip, I had already considered myself to be an independent person, but I don’t think I fully understood the meaning. For one, there were so many things I wanted to do and I didn’t want to force people to do them with me, especially if it interfered with their plans. Everyone else has a life too, so if there’s something you are dying to do, just go out and do it. Yes, it may seem scary, but take the leap of faith. Do your research, don’t be afraid to ask questions, find a ride and go! Trust me, you’ll regret it if you don’t.
Most importantly, I have learned the value of listening as much as you speak. One of the best things about traveling is connecting with people and hearing their personal experiences. There will be some things that I will never quite understand, but you have to remember that there are some things they will never quite understand either. As much as you explain something, it may never really click and that’s okay. Maybe they will offer you advice that you don’t agree with, but be kind and listen. At the end of the day, you know who you are as a person and don’t ever feel like you have to take someone’s advice.
As my summer travels come to a close, I feel like a chapter of my life is ending. I’ve learned so much about myself; I am capable of doing absolutely anything my heart desires. I’ve learned to enjoy the solitude - the anonymity of being in a city where no one knows your name. I’ve realized all of the things I take for granted — I have a better outlook on life in general. In the end, I think the best part of traveling may just be coming back home.
