Quick Takes:
- Use an open mind to embrace the positive people around you
- Connect on a personal level to create an everlasting relationship
- Be on a mission to find clarity in your life
38 days, 10 countries, 16 cities, 1 backpack. The most amazing backpacking tour has come to an end, although a new journey awaits but we can focus on that another time. For now, I want to reflect on these past eventful 38 days. 38 days that have defined who I truly am and have provided me with some of the most beneficial life lessons I have encountered thus far. My mind has been opened to many new extraordinary aspects of life. Aspects which I will carry proudly with the hopes to pass the lessons learned onto those who I cross paths with in the future. The number of lessons I have been taught along this journey through experiences and people would take me ages to tell you. So, I have surprisingly narrowed it down to one sentence to give you a broad summary of what I have been taught. Here it is, don’t get too excited, it is really just one sentence. I’ve learned how to perceive life in a new manner that is constantly developing along with grasping a stronger vision of who I want to be as a person. Now that we got that out of the way, sit tight because it is time to reminisce and reflect on the last 38 days.
Positive People, Positive Impact
I can’t put into words the impact the people I have met throughout this journey have had on my life. Really, I can’t. I am not lying. Well I guess I am lying because I am about to put it into words, but nowhere near enough words. If any of those people are reading this currently, please know there is not a way I could thank you enough for what you have done for me. However, let me boast about you really quick to the world. Your positivity is beyond encouraging, your life journeys are extraordinary, and your attitudes are welcoming.
Most of all, these individuals taught me how to put myself outside my comfort zone. I can’t thank them enough because I believe it may be the most beneficial thing a person could do. The thing is when you are travelling alone you don’t get to choose if you want to go outside your comfort zone; you are forced to be outside your comfort zone the entire time. This really allows you to learn about yourself and develop new aspects that you can utilize throughout your life. It forces you to adapt. To adapt to the situations and cultures around you. In order to enjoy yourself and get the ultimate most out of where you are, it is important to accept the fact that this is your new comfort zone. You begin to realize how amazing it is to be open to anything and everything. This new comfort zone really embodies the aspect of living with an absolutely open mind, which is one of the biggest aspects of life to which I have begun.
Being able to connect with any individual and share our different walks of life has really pushed me as an individual. Keeping an open mind to accept any individual is something I believe not everyone is comfortable with. If that is where you find yourself, I hope I can encourage you to strive to reach a level of comfortability. Anyway, you begin to realize everyone that is on a world journey embodies that mindset. The mindset of full respect and interest in those that surround us every day. This is the beauty of travelling. I did not once come across close-minded individuals. Comparing that to the states, I have met a handful of close minded individuals. Don’t take that too personally, please. I am sure you are a wonderful individual! Here, to make that sound a little less rude, I think it’s fair enough to say I actually had a very closed mind before I began my journey. I believed I knew what I wanted in life and I thought I knew everyone I needed to know. Pssssh, yeah right. I was believing my own lies. As you can imagine, I was far from correct. I was blind to what was still out there for me to learn and understand.
Learning To Connect On A Personal Level
Having the opportunity to meet all these amazing people tests your ability to connect. As I sit here and ponder on what I have done in the last two months, I think back to the start of my journey. I remember at the beginning of my trip I wrote that my greatest weakness was that I lacked to ability to connect to any individual on a personal level. On a level that creates an everlasting strong connection. I believe I have come a long way as this quality has been developing every single day. It is finally beginning to all come together, it is all finally becoming understandable in my mind. Crossing paths with so many different people and learning about all of their life stories involves a great deal of finding one aspect to connect with them. I think it is important to develop the ability to connect on that kind of personal level.
What I also learned while meeting so many different individuals, is that everyone has their own interests and own idea of what they want to do. This is another aspect that has taught me to live my life with a very flexible mindset that caters to new experiences. I have been using a phrase my entire trip that describes exactly what I mean. It goes as follows, ¨I’m up for anything you want to do.¨ Yes, it is that stupid, bland, and simple. Call it what you want, but it is very true. I have come to realize if we are open to what someone else wants to do and are intrigued by their interests, we may encounter greater opportunities. If we stay confined to exactly what we want to do and if we don’t put ourselves out there, we are simply going to miss out. Miss out on new friends, life lessons, life experiences, and the development of our minds.
Finding Clarity Within Your Life
We are all on a mission to find clarity in life. Clarity to understand what we want out of life, clarity to understand who we truly are, clarity to understand our true passions in life. This understanding allows each and ever yone of us to live our lives to its full potential. It gives us the opportunity to achieve ultimate freedom. Finding and searching for this clarity involves a constant development of our mind, which I believe to be our most valuable asset. This may be exhausting and frustrating at times, but when it all begins to come together you begin to feel accomplished. However, not just any type of accomplishment. A feeling of accomplishment mixed with a reward, a reward infusing you with energy. Thriving you with energy because you finally can take a deep breath and realize what it is in life that makes you proud, drives you forward, keeps your head high and your mind motivated. As I sit here and reflect on what I have gone through these past two months, I can confidently say I have found that clarity. The clarity that will drive me forward day after day to follow my passions with the intention to create a lifestyle worth living.
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Although my backpacking tour has officially come to an end, another journey has been presented to me as I mentioned in the beginning. Travelling had such an amazing impact on me, if you couldn’t tell already, that I decided to forfeit my flight home and live in Barcelona for 5 weeks. The city captivated me so much while I was here in the middle of July that I wanted to come back to learn more about the culture and enjoy its social aspect. I look forward to seeing what it has to offer in the upcoming month. I also look forward to continuing this blog as it has become an important part of my life. In the beginning, I believed this would be a short-term blog, but, hey, why stop now when it has provided so much development for me. Let’s roll with it.
