I’m a loner by nature and I love exploring the world in a way that I can fully soak in everything around me. Most of the time that means traveling alone. Not convinced? Here’s why:
1. You can do Whatever You Want…Whenever You Want
I am unashamed to say that I’ve spent four hours sitting in a museum before. During that time I’m pretty sure I viewed ever single piece of art on all four stories, sat in on a mini lecture about Eleanor of Aquitaine and bought post cards of all of my favorite dead British people. It was glorious – nobody saying they needed to go to the bathroom, they were bored or that they were hungry.
2. You Get to Make New Friends Along the Way and Network
Even beyond Couchsurfing buddies, you can make friends on buses, planes and trains so much easier if you’re traveling alone. It allows you to talk to people who are actually from the places you travel, and to learn more about the culture around you by experiencing it through the eyes of the people who live there. I’ve met so many awesome people in hostels that I hung out with because I didn’t have the crutch of only talking with people I knew. I love the incentive to come out of my shell and have the opportunity to get to make connections with people all around the world!
3. People are More Helpful to a Single Person than Groups
As sad as it sounds, when you’re in a group you’re generally viewed as a nuisance/tourist. When you travel alone you’re a stranger people are much more likely to help with directions, advice etc. There’s something about traveling solitary that I’ve found makes getting help from people around you so much more accessible.
4. No Curfew/Wake up Time
Even if it’s not about having a “bed time”, usually if you’re in a group there’s some kind of mentality that you need to be tucked in at some point, or, at least, that someone needs to know where you are at all times. I love the freedom of being able to go out and not have to check in with anyone whether I want to stay out late or go to bed at 6pm (but, really, when I was in Dublin I slept for 14 hours once).
5. You Can Try Random Things Sporadically
One of my favorite memories will always be meeting up with a friend I hadn’t seen in years, in London. While we were there, we found out about a concert that was going on in the city and just HAPPENED to have one of my absolute favorite artists, James Arthur, performing at it. I loved being able to just drop everything and go…because there wasn’t an “agenda” that I had to stick to or other plans that I needed to keep in mind.
All these things being said, there are a TON of reasons why it’s fun to travel with people as well. But, either way I think it’s important not to have a mentality that you “can’t” travel somewhere without having an entourage. Having a good time is completely up to you, no matter which situation you’re in!
Me during my first solo backpacking trip. I was a tad bit excited to see James Arthur.
Six months from today I will be in France. And that’s scary.
In six months I will be in a different culture, with completely different people. There will be different customs, different expectations and different ways I will have to live in order to adapt to them.
But today, while I was having my daily panic/excited thoughts about my upcoming adventure, I was reminded of something a teacher I had in college used to say: “Don’t be scared, be prepared.”
With the Olympic games going on right now, athletics seem to be the go-to for life analogies, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s only one time, every four years, that these athletes have an opportunity to showcase their absolute best. And, if you asked most of them, you would find out that they have been training for this moment their whole lives. Similarly, in everyday life, we have to start training for goals long before we find ourselves standing in front of them.
Unfortunately, it’s pretty easy to see goals as far off expectations; things we can think about when we get to them. But the challenge is to start running long before we ever see the start line of a marathon. Yesterday I was reminded of this while, in church, we were talking about living the present with the hope that our future reality brings.
We don’t know what exactly lies for us in the future. For me there are still a lot of undetermined variables that go along with the huge move I’m about to make. There’s paperwork, translators, classes, packing and numerous other aspects. But, what drives me in the now is the hope of change in my future, and it takes constant reminders to remember that there is an end goal I am working toward.
Because, ultimately, I have the option to do one of two things:
1. Panic and shut down because the obstacle looks too large to conquer.
2. Start preparing myself now, so that when I reach those obstacles I’m prepared to conquer them.
If you know you will need to run a marathon months away, you start training now in order to be ready. You start running now. You start logging your hours now. You start living in preparation of the future while you are still in the present.
The people who are the most successful are the people who begin with what they have and work toward what they want. It’s easy for me to look at goals, such as learning another language fluently, or successfully living and helping take care of a family I’ve never physically met, as mountains I don’t even begin to know how to climb.
But, when I start going into freak out mode, I remind myself of the promise for hope in my future. One of my favorite bible verses is Deuteronomy 31:8:
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Discouragement is one of the biggest battles when you’re fighting toward change in your life. There’s always going to be the negative input from outside and inside telling you you’ll never make it, or the challenge is too hard. But, when I start to listen to these voices, I take a minute and stop to remind myself that I will NEVER be left or forsaken and that discouragement and fear are not of God, and therefore of absolutely no interest to me.
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
It’s crazy, the power of words. They are essential to reminding us of our identity and our rite to live a life of freedom. They allow us to remember the promises of the future, by looking into the histories of our past. And allow us to work toward goals that are so much bigger than our comfort zones.
Six months from today I will be in France. And that’s scary. But fear is only an emotion – one I am not willing to allow to control, taint or command my actions or decisions. I live my life turned toward the reality of serving a God who promises me strength for today and a bright hope for tomorrow…and six months from now.
“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” – Karim Seddik
It’s a truth universally acknowledged (at least in the Northwestern US) that a student educated in the art of speaking Spanish will be ten million times more likely to use it, than one educated in French.
I made that statistic up.
But, if you are one of the masses of people who chose to take Spanish as your educational language in school, I salute you – I was not.
My entire life I felt pressured to pursue Spanish. In school, I remember there being three Spanish classes filled with students (all with waiting lists) while we – the poor French class students of America – could barely fill two tables in our classroom.
Perhaps I was a hipster even as a ten year old, but I just COULD NOT understand why people wanted to take Spanish. Speaking Spanish felt like denim in comparison to the velour of the words I was used to practicing and perfecting. I obviously don’t share the feelings now, but you have to understand that I was an extremely opinionated and stubborn child.
And, as most people in love, I was hell bent on defending the honor of my darling French language, any time it was brought into question – which was often. I remember adults telling me it would be better for my future if I took Spanish classes. That it would look “good” on my résumé and that I would be able to better connect with “my culture”…wait, what? Yes, people thought I was Hispanic (I am not in any way, in case you were wondering). But that’s another story for another time.
The one time I actually attempted to try out a Spanish class, I was entirely disappointed. They said “que” and I pronounced it like it was supposed to be pronounced, “Kuh”. They said, “No, no, no, Emilee – QUE.” Yes, I don’t have a hearing problem, I remember thinking. And the second time I over pronounced it the French way, just out of spite.
It’s true, I was a brat of a child. I knew what I liked and was fiercely loyal to it. *Disclaimer: I am, in no way, claiming to have grown out of this.
Now that I’m older, I understand the importance of all languages, but I also understand the importance of sticking with what you’re passionate about. Should I have taken Spanish because it was something that “everyone” would use when they grew up? Maybe.
But, if I took a poll to see how many words my high school friends actually remember from their FOUR YEARS of studying, I’m pretty sure I would have great directions to the bathroom and know the person’s name.
See, while doing what is “practical” might seem like the right thing at the time, sticking with what I love is now proving so much more useful in my life.
I like to think of myself as an advocate of impractical thinking. I highly encourage doing the “impractical thing” in order to stay true to yourself (as corny as that sounds). Because, when it comes down to it, you are ultimately the person who lives with the shapes you are molded into. And you never know when, in your future, you might need a couple nonsensical skills. While French was seemingly impractical when I was growing up, knowing Spanish now, would be of little use to me while living in the countryside of France.
As a result of learning a language I was actually interested in, and wanted to learn, I dug deep into the language and actually LEARNED it. I was able to find my own identity and go down my own path; one that’s leading me to some pretty awesome places now that I’m an adult.
I’ll be the first to say that if there was enough time to learn every language, I would. I’m not devaluing any, Spanish or otherwise, in any way – but I will say that taking it for me would have been a mistake. Not because of what the language was, but because it wasn’t where my heart was.
In a perfect world I think all languages would be available in school systems so kids could really explore and see what stuck out to them. Right now, I live with one roommate who speaks Russian and another learning German, and I can’t help remembering that those languages weren’t even an option growing up. Why?
There’s going to always be a standardized educational system that provides what they believe is “best” for the students they are educating. But my challenge is that dark horses like me are allowed to thrive in an environment that might not be the common choice. Who knows how many linguists we’re missing out on by limiting the options of school languages!
Oh, and for all my Spanglish speaking friends – I adore you. But, don’t think I won’t remind you how “que” should really be pronounced.
The first time I travelled outside of North America, I was 18 years old – and absolutely terrified. I had never been on a plane before, never been off the continent and had barely even been out of my parents’ sight most of my life (homeschooler – Woot! Woot!). But, after 24 million hours of flying, we finally reached Bangalore, India. Our group consisted of “ The Bangalore 12” : six men and six women, and I sat nicely on the bottom rung of the ladder as the baby of the group.
The greatest limitation that I had throughout that trip was continually feeling like I wasn’t “old enough” to participate or succeed in exploring a country different than the one I was raised in. I was way too shy to approach people, ask for directions or even order something at a restaurant. I just wanted to be invisible. You see, despite popular opinion, I am NOT an extrovert. And in addition to natural introversion, I come from a strict “keep to ourselves” Scandinavian family.
But, I remember sitting down with one of the women on the trip and telling her about how inadequate I felt. I expected pity, instead she dared me to feel empowered. She reminded me that age is only an obstacle if you allow it to be. I became so much stronger through that experience, because I finally allowed walls telling me to “stop trying” to be broken down. Was the transition smooth or fun? No. I still got nauseous every time I talked to someone. But, sometimes, the biggest success is taking your first step forward.
Years later, as I travel, I love to talk to people about their own travelling experiences. In particular, I always try to talk to older people while I travel. And every time I meet someone new, I’m reminded that although each of our stories are different – they’re not entirely lacking in similarities. For instance, every single person I’ve EVER asked about traveling (50+ years old) has said they wish they had traveled more and hadn’t let life get in the way. Whether they’re on their first trip, or their 100th, I have yet to meet ANYONE who was satisfied with how much they’ve traveled.
But, when is the best time in life to travel? My answer: When it’s the right time in life to travel (listening to that inner voice is key).
Now, if you’re like me and in your 20’s, you’ve probably been informed that your 20’s are “the best time of your life.” We’re told to travel now because when we’re older, we’ll have too many responsibilities, and after that we’ll be too rickety to leave our rocking chairs.
Well, I don’t buy it.
While obstacles make traveling harder (ex. having kids, or getting married, or having a mortgage etc.), the fact of the matter is: while these can be truths, they can also be excuses.
Whether I’m running around the globe tomorrow, in 10 years, or in 50 years, I refuse for my 20’s to be the defining “best part” – I have greater expectations for the next 70 years of my life. And while traveling, I’ve been able to meet some awesome people who are my heroes for refusing to believe the “age fallacy”, as well.
On one of my latest flights, I had the privilege of sitting next to the cutest older couple, who were probably in their sixties. After talking to them about airline food (first rule: sneakily ease your way in), I asked them where they were going. The woman lit up as she told me about her and her husband’s soon to be adventure around Ireland. They were both overflowing with a kind of giddy mischievousness. They had never been to Ireland before, and I couldn’t help but smile as they told me about all the details of their trip. While I was sitting there listening I thought, “See, here is such a great example of two constant learners of life. Age and experience don’t dictate their ability to travel. They were ready, willing and excited for their new adventure.”
My mom is another of my absolute heroes for how often we traveled as a family while I was growing up. As a single mother of four, you would think she’d have had some kind of restrictions or boundaries. But, when I was nine years old, she packed us up in our mini van, along with everything we’d need to live the next month of our lives, and started driving. In total, we reached 38 states (and every historical site, attraction and national park in between), and it still amazes me that such a feat was accomplished while she homeschooled me in the back of the van. And I don’t even have time to go into the almost 10 Canadian provinces, and trip to Alaska soon after. My mom was dedicated to making a way for us to experience the world, and she knew the best way to do that was to have us actually experience it. In conclusion, my mom is a total bad ass. Period.
Traveling is second nature to me because I was raised in it, but I realize that travel is a way of life. One that is, at times, uncomfortable and stretches your mind, soul and spirit. It can be scary and intimidating and emotionally (and physically) draining. But I think it is such an important part of existing as part of this planet. A lot of the time you don’t have the tools, or any idea how things are going to work out, but I think it’s exactly that lack of certainty that allows travelers to expand their minds and grow so much more over shorter periods of time.
Starting in college I made a commitment to travel somewhere I’ve never been before every year. Maybe this will actually pan out, maybe it won’t. But having the goal keeps me on track to do everything in my power to make it happen. So far, so good. I’ve been able to go to amazing places for the past five years, and I can’t wait for even more adventures.
But, the thing about the best adventures are that they happen when you’re the least ready for them (Bilbo Baggins?! – yeah, I went there). And sometimes I have to remind myself that God doesn’t keep a stopwatch on our lives that we can measure. He knows when we are ready and sends us out, regardless of our belief in the fact (Romans 8:28).
Honestly, 90% of the time I do things, I have 1% confidence in my ability to succeed. But, I have to take a step back, take a deep breath and make the decision to do it anyway. And generally it takes patience, tears and A LOT of prayer. But, you know what? Amazing things happen when you start trying to make them happen. People jump on board and support you, pieces fall into place and you start seeing little miracles occur in your life.
There’s a verse in the book of Esther that says you have been called, “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Esther, in no way, thought she was ready to move forward on the path God directed her – but she took the first steps, knowing that regardless of the outcome, she had already succeeded by being faithful. Maybe it’s because she’s my namesake (maybe I just love stories), but I love this biblical lesson of blind faithfulness being rewarded. And while I’m totally on board with being called to go out in the world while I’m in my twenties, I want/hope/wish/plead that God will continue to challenge me to travel for the rest of my life as well.
“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”―J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
Picture a little girl. She turned nine years old last week and is simultaneously excited and bored to death with life. She wears her hair in multiple braids every day. She likes to make things and learn about new people, but mostly likes to watch the world around her, as though she is learning the moves to an intricate dance she hopes to perfect.
This little girl is a bit odd. For her 9th birthday she asked her mom to take her to Williamsburg so she could study colonial life in the 18th century. And, on the way there, her family made a stop in a little place called Quebec, Canada. Amidst the unreadable traffic signs and how beautiful all the people speaking sounded, it felt like heaven. The little girl is mesmerized and entranced. She thinks she’s walked into a storybook, and she doesn’t ever want to step out again.
Studies show that what you gravitate toward when you’re 7-9 years old is an early indicator to what you’ll be passionate about in your adult life. You might lose it during middle school, or hide it during high school. But, generally it comes back again and again, as though some kind of haunting presence.
This is what happened to me in third grade. The moment I heard someone speak French for the first time I was hooked. I couldn’t/can’t believe how beautiful it was/is! The language was like verbal painting, and I LOVE painting. The moment I got back to my own hometown I insisted that my mom put me in French lessons. I wanted to know everything. How to speak it, how to read it and how to move to France when I was older. My mom wasn’t on board with the last request, but she enrolled me in classes nonetheless.
French has always been something I’ve poured myself into, but has never seemed like “work” to me. It’s always been there, more or less like a hobby. Something I’ve gone back and forth to all the way through college. I don’t really talk about it. Most people are surprised when they find out I know any French at all. But, having the opportunity to now live in the very heart of what has captured my own, has brought it to the foreground again in my life.
This past week I started French tutoring, so I’ll have a solid foundation for when I actually move. I was going to wait to enroll in classes starting in April at the community college near my house, but decided, after looking at enrollment fees, that private tutoring was actually way cheaper and more one on one instruction. So now, I’ll be going once a week to meet up with my tutor.
One thing that is really surprising me is how much my mind has retained, although I haven’t spoken one word of French for almost five years. I’ll hear a word, or a phrase and think, “Wait…I know that…” It might take me a couple of minutes, or being reminded, but I think it’s all re-sticking pretty quickly. It kind of feels like I’m rediscovering my identity after having amnesia. And I’m not gonna lie – I love it.
That being said, here are
My goals for French:
– 1 hour per day of practicing
– At least semi-fluent before I even get on the plane in August
– I’d love to be able to Skype with my au pair family while speaking French, instead of speaking English and have the parents translate to the kids
– Join some kind of group to meet other people in Seattle that speak French,
so I can speak with them (April/May)
– Start writing my blog posts in En Français and English so I can practice, but you guys can still read them
– Learn to flirt in French. That’s right – I said it.
Darkk Horse Travel 