Caroline Dale
I travel because it helps me find my strength.
When I was at University, I didn’t have a huge desire to travel. Friends would head off to Thailand or South America for a summer, and I’d think, “Meh, I’ll just stick with Cornwall”.
Then I had a free year to do anything with before I started work, and I thought I suppose Ireally ought to travel. I booked my one way ticket to Melbourne, Australia, and constantly told family and friends that if I didn’t like it, I’d be back within a couple of weeks.
I was going alone, with no plan and no-one I knew on that side of the world. I was scared.
In the end, it wasn’t a couple of weeks, it was eight months. And I went from being theperson who said “Oo not sure, that looks a bit dangerous”, or “Hmm I might not be good at that, so I won’t try” to the girl jumping out of a plane in Australia, riding motorbikes inVietnam, and snorkeling in Fiji. Those practical fears of heights and water, and the moreintangible fears of not being good enough, or not succeeding, disappeared.
Travel helped me realise that life’s too short to worry so much about what other people think, or not do something because you’d have to do it alone. I made some great friends along the way, but ultimately realised that I really can depend on myself, and I’m great company (if I do say so myself).
Now I’ve started work, I sometimes find myself reverting back to the fear of ‘Oh no what if I muck up this presentation?!‘. Then I look at this picture from my travels, and remind myself that I’m fearless and strong. I can take on the world. And I plan to!
| Bedfordshire, United Kingdom | 23 | Currently exploring London |