“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.”
David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
It’s a humbling epiphany really. Meeting yourself on the road. A better version of you. Or maybe a worse version. The important thing is that you’ve discovered a different version. Someone you may have not met before, or someone all too familiar. You don’t have to necessarily like this new version. You just have to either accept it or change it. And of course, learn from it.
I learned to handle problems without stressing.
I learned to be responsible.
I learned not to depend on others.
I learned how much I love learning.
I learned to be open-minded.
I also learned my limits.
I learned I love to experience new things.
I learned how to appreciate the simple things.
And most of all, I learned that even though I like my own company…
… I’d rather travel and make memories with people I love.
Travel is constant learning. It never ends. The world is your classroom and you are allowed to make mistakes. There is no greater teacher than experience, and there is no better way than experiencing things in the real world. Every time I come back after a trip, I always feel like I’ve changed. That I’ve taken a piece of every city with me. Every culture. The road to self- discovery is a special one, and not everybody has the opportunity or courage to explore it.
So embrace your self-discoveries and the lessons you learned from traveling. Once travel becomes your comfort zone, things will never be the same. It’s liberating.
Jen is a Chicago-based traveler and creative. She is a full-time development & communications executive specializing in non-profit organizations. Originally from the East Coast, she created The Jetsetter as a place to share her travel stories and photos with friends and family. Now, it is a place for adventurers and dreamers. Its purpose is to inspire and encourage busy professionals to see the world and achieve a better work-life balance.