My aunt asked me at the Christmas dinner table, “Are you scared of anything, Samantha?”. The answer? Absolutely. But am I nervous about traveling alone? Not so much. Here’s why:
Perhaps she meant about the people on the road.
Perhaps she meant about lifting off of having a home base.
Maybe she meant all the unknowns that come with nomadic life.
Here’s the thing: yeah, I’m a little scared of all of it. But I’m not going to let it hold me back.
The least of my worries:
I’ve been in SO many uncomfortable situations while traveling alone, but they all had a reason, and they all made me a better person and traveler. Here’s a few stories:
- I’ve seen people in the US ask someone a question in English, and get super frustrated that the recipient doesn’t understand, so they speak English louder with hopes that they’ll find a mutual understanding. How terrifying to have a stranger yelling at you. However, while this is intimidating, both parties want to understand each other.
- I got nervous about leaving my hostel alone on my first day in Beirut, but the truth was that I needed socks, so I ventured out on to the streets in search of the dollar store.
- Sure, I got nervous in Budapest about going to a club alone, but it was that or not see one of the most famous bars in the world, so off I went. In the end, I had a weird night of eating carrots (apparently that was a thing at this party?) and drinking a LOT of water with new friends.
Next week, I’ll show up in Morocco as a solo traveler with the intention to stay for a month. I’m nervous to show up in Morocco alone and not really know the language. Come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure what the language there is. However, based on experience, I know it’s all going to work out.
No such thing as ‘home’
I haven’t lived anywhere for more than two years since I graduated high school. What the transient lifestyle has taught me is that people are home. Even if you’re reading this and you’ve lived in the same place or been around the same people for a long time, hear me out:
Home will be with the beautiful people I meet around the world. Home will be my mom’s house, home will be seeing my brother for weeks at a time, and home will be the WiFi Tribe I fall in to.
Home will not be my big, beautiful bed. Home will not be a closet, a garage, and the things that I’ve surrounded myself with. Home will be me. I will always be home.
The Point:
Assume the best. I can only create a reality in which I am so well supported that there is no alternative. It’s the only possibility when working through being nervous about traveling alone.
So, Are You Scared of ANYTHING?
Yeah. So I go vet it out and the question marks become bold exclamation points. I get to be a digital nomad. I get to bring these stories to YOU and make it easier for you to get over the nerves of traveling.
However, I hope that the nerves, the unknowns, and the trepidation never goes away. I hope that I still feel small when I stand beside the ocean and that the waves of equanimity change me everywhere I go. I want to have a heightened awareness every time I step into a new place; we never step in the same river twice.