Travelling has been a huge part of my life over the last 10 years. Given the current situation with COVID-19, many of my travel plans have unfortunately been cancelled. I get that it's probably a bit odd to do a post about travel while all of us are forced to stay home. We've heard that we don't really know what we have until it's gone. While I don't feel that way about my travel experiences, the time I am being forced to spend at home has me reflecting on what I have learned in my adventures around the globe.
This week, I am excited to discuss this topic with two friends I have made because of travel. We hope that this discussion will help you to look back and appreciate how your travel experience has changed you for the better. Check out the interview below:
#1 We all met because of travel. It's cool to see how our friendships are still so strong even after several years of living in different countries. Why does travel seem to have such a significant impact on friendships?
Lauren: Looking back, traveling has allowed me to find and cultivate real, lasting friendships, which is weird to write considering I now only see most of these people virtually on FaceTime. Most of the traveling I have done started out by myself, from summer camp in the US, to studying in the Netherlands, to working in Sierra Leone. I’ve found when traveling, friendships have a much simpler dynamic, which is probably why all these experiences have led to some of the most significant and authentic friendships. It’s simply people knowing that we can’t make it alone, and we all need relationships that are filled with intentionality.
Sarah: We all have that idealistic vision of what we think travel will be like, but things will go wrong inevitably. It is in these unexpected moments that we create a unique bond with our companions. I don’t think I’ve had one trip that didn’t involve a disaster (mostly involving my phone). If you meet someone you’re convinced is your long-lost twin or someone with whom you have absolutely nothing in common, experiencing the wonderful and the not-so-wonderful realities of travelling together, will connect you with them regardless. Whether it’s vomiting the entire train journey from Florence to Pisa or suffering endless nettle stings together on a never-ending hike through the Alps, I promise you, these are the times that will have you laughing together in later days to come.
#2 A lot of people might say that their circumstances limit their ability to travel. What kinds of obstacles have you faced in attempting to see the world and how were you able to overcome them?
Lauren: There have been countless obstacles for me: coordinating multiple visa applications with one passport, lost passports, not getting my vaccinations on time, running out of money … Travelling is never straight forward. The biggest obstacle for me has always been my comfort zone. Saying "Yes" to opportunities that are really scary is not easy. It’s much easier to live a comfortable life, where you know you’re not going to be lonely, where you have familiar people and a support network. Saying"Yes" to opportunities that fill me with fear has been difficult, caused me sleepless nights, and kept me awake with worry a lot of the time. However, it’s also brought me to the most beautiful people, amazing cultures, and enlightening experiences I’ll never forget.
Sarah: Finances are always going to be an obstacle if you want to travel overseas for a prolonged period. However, I’ve found that even when you have the means to travel, seeking out opportunities instead of waiting for them to come to you is an obstacle in itself. The beginning of my more independent adventures abroad all started with a random Google search and a rash decision to sign up for a mission camp in a place I’d never heard of with people I didn’t know. When there was initially no one there to pick me up at the arrivals gate in Turin airport, I panicked. Was it was all an online scam? When I found out I was the only one from the U.K., I almost wanted to fly back home. But, getting through those initial, uncomfortable, and intimidating moments allowed me to find both a place I now consider a second home and friends I’d be lost without today.
#3 I know that traveling has taught me so much about myself, others, and the world in general. My outlook on life is so different because of my experiences in other cultures. What is one of the biggest lessons you have learned from traveling?
Lauren: Apart from learning to be more organised and always apply for visas early, do the things that truly scare you. I remember being on a flight from India to live in Sierra Leone for a few months. I was moving to a new country and a new culture where I knew nobody. I had one contact from London who I was meeting for the first time when I arrived at the airport. I was going to start working in a maternity hospital in a country that has the highest maternal mortality ratio in the world, and over three quarters of the population are classified as living in multidimensional poverty. I was going to live with a couple from the Philippines who I’d never met. I had forgotten to get dollars out when I was in New Delhi, and with no ATMs at the airport, I had no cash. I was terrified. Looking back, it wasn’t an easy time. Those first few weeks, I cried on the phone to whoever would pick up and listen. I wanted to come home. I was the loneliest I had ever been. I was overwhelmed by everything. But, the time I spent in Sierra Leone was probably the most freeing time of my life. I was accepted into a country by the most welcoming people who I truly felt loved me. I experienced so much fullness, all by saying "Yes" to an opportunity that scared me.
Sarah: After finding myself in a culture I knew nothing about, eating food I wasn’t sure I even liked, and listening to a language I barely understood, I was overwhelmed for sure. But, it made me more resilient. Now, I feel that I am much better at coping with change and accepting circumstances that don’t go to plan – more than what my control-freak nature would have me be anyway. Even more importantly, I’ve learnt that Italian trains are never on time and, no matter how hard you try, no one will fully understand your Northern Irish accent.
#4 The person I am today is definitely a product of my travel experience. I have been shaped by the challenges I have faced in travel and the communities I have encountered along the way. How are you different now?
Lauren: Traveling will teach you everything: all the adult life skills and adapting when it all goes wrong (often). The word that I keep coming back to is "appreciation" (not just for electricity that doesn’t cut out and Indian food). It’s a privilege to experience different countries and be invited in to their cultures. From dancing in Sarees in India, to hustling in Bangkok, from taking okada rides in Freetown, to cycling in the Netherlands, from hiking in Sri Lanka, to dancing around a campfire in California; being truly vulnerable to the travel experience and these places I’ve called home has enabled be to have a new appreciation for pretty much everything. As the people of sweet "Salone" kept telling me, "you sista dae na road, tell God tenki," which essentially means to be thankful to God for the opportunity to travel.
Sarah: Travel has given me a greater sense of empathy. After trying to settle into a new town with few English speakers when living abroad as an au pair, I have experienced what it is like to be the "foreigner." Now, when I’m back home, I have a greater appreciation for what non-English speakers may be going through since I was once in their shoes. As well as this, I know what it’s like to have no other option but to rely whole-heartedly on God. In unfamiliar places, He was the only one I knew and could trust. Although it’s easy to slip into the mindset that we don’t need God as much when we are comfortable at home, when I think back to how He looked after me when I was away, I’m reminded of His continual provision no matter what country I’m in.
Travel really can make an impact on how we see ourselves and the world. It can teach us things about ourselves that we wouldn't have learned otherwise. I'm thankful for the opportunity God has given me to grow in those ways. I pray we can continue to do just that once the coronavirus has taken a trip of its own, if you know what I mean. ;)
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