With my birthday having recently passed, I received a lot of messages from people wishing me well on my adventures, commenting on how much fun I must be having, and mentioning how they hope to soon do something similar abroad.
And yet a few days ago, I was overcome by an immense sadness; I wanted to go home and end the stress that accompanied solo traveling. On my way between Paris and Perigueux, I was waiting at a temporary bus stop for a bus that was to take me to where I would be staying, and I was getting nervous as the minutes pushed steadily past the scheduled arrival time with no sign of the bus.
And yet a few days ago, I was overcome by an immense sadness; I wanted to go home and end the stress that accompanied solo traveling. On my way between Paris and Perigueux, I was waiting at a temporary bus stop for a bus that was to take me to where I would be staying, and I was getting nervous as the minutes pushed steadily past the scheduled arrival time with no sign of the bus.
I was tired and scared of being stranded, and was taken aback by the tears that started to sting behind my eyes. I was a traveller, for Pete's sake! So what if a bus didn't show up? Call a taxi and problem, solved. I had friends who did far riskier things that were much farther outside of their comfort zones. And when I looked online, they were clearly having a fantastic time mastering the art of being a world traveler. | What we see on Facebook - that is, what people often publicly display - is rarely the whole picture. |
Maybe I'm just not cut out for this backpacking thing, I thought. Next time I mention it, just pat my head, tell me it's a nice idea, and then distract me with a home-baked cookie until I forget all about the urge to travel.
But after reflection, I concluded that it's okay to feel this way, because these experiences are a part of traveling! Furthermore, they're a part of being human. What we see on Facebook - that is, what people often publicly display - is rarely the whole picture. The photos I post are a small collection of the pleasures that I wish to share with others, but they are not a complete representation of the experiences I have had. My travels haven't been all sunshine and rainbows, despite my photos being predominately, well, sunshine and rainbows.
If ever you set off on your own adventures and find yourself struggling with any aspect of your travels, know that someone else has likely also had a similar experience; they just didn't write a status or post a photo about it.
But after reflection, I concluded that it's okay to feel this way, because these experiences are a part of traveling! Furthermore, they're a part of being human. What we see on Facebook - that is, what people often publicly display - is rarely the whole picture. The photos I post are a small collection of the pleasures that I wish to share with others, but they are not a complete representation of the experiences I have had. My travels haven't been all sunshine and rainbows, despite my photos being predominately, well, sunshine and rainbows.
If ever you set off on your own adventures and find yourself struggling with any aspect of your travels, know that someone else has likely also had a similar experience; they just didn't write a status or post a photo about it.
* I was hoping to include visuals for this post, until I realized that all of my photos were of... you guessed it: sunshine and rainbows.