7 ways to reflect whilst travelling

Traveling is one of the most popular activities across the world, with more and more people exploring every single corner throughout their lives. But something many people don’t talk about is that travel brings the opportunity to reflect, both on life in general and your own life.

You may have noticed that I’m not writing as often as I did in the past. Priorities change.

I do still like blogging, and I do miss writing and publishing. This is the reason why I decided to open the doors of my digital home to other writers who have something inspiring to tell.

First was Phoebe with her powerful story about traveling while dealing with mental health. Today, my guest is Allison who has written a beautiful piece about ways to reflect whilst traveling.

Traveling gives you the opportunity to go out of your confort zone, push the boundaries, explore new situations. Travel allows you to see your life from a new perspective, at the same time that you meet other people, cultures and lifestyles.

Traveling is good, but if you can learn from it, if it helps you become a better person, then… then traveling is truly amazing.

Post by Allison: 7 ways to reflect whilst travelling

Travelling is one of the most popular hobbies across the world, with many people choosing to explore every corner of every continent throughout their lives. But something many people don’t talk about is the opportunity travelling brings to reflect, both on your own life and life in general. Here are seven great ways to do so.

Talk to the locals

One way to be simultaneously humbled and inspired during your travels is by talking to the locals. Although ‘stranger danger’ is the norm for many travellers—as it should be—don’t be afraid to spark up conversation with those you come into contact with, whether it be a street vendor, bartender or anyone else you interact with.

They’ll likely be able to tell you stories that will give you an insight into different ways of life, effectively putting yours into perspective. For example, many countries aren’t as developed as the western world, so their hardships may make yours feel less pressing.

Get creative

Showcasing your creative side can lead to self-expression that you have not yet experienced. Whether it’s trying your hand at art, music or even writing a blog, as recommended by 1Cover, travelling gives you the opportunity to be creative in ways you can’t or haven’t yet tried at home.

Creativity is one way of self-expression that doesn’t feel draining or taxing. Harness your talents and make something beautiful as a method of stress relief, as well as getting your feelings out in an unconventional way.

Push your boundaries and face your fears

Travelling presents many opportunities for you to face your fears and see how far you can really go. Activities such as white-water rafting, bungee jumping and mountain climbing are all common choices for adventurers across the world—but if you feel hesitant, you could miss out on seeing some amazing sights.

Try to eradicate your fears and do something you won’t be able to do at home. You need to embrace every opportunity you get whilst travelling, even if that does mean overcoming your fears.

Try and stay away from your phone

Although you shouldn’t go completely off the grid (you’ll need your phone for safety, as well as to talk to those back at home), try to stay off your phone as much as possible.

Being distracted by your mobile will diminish the impact of your travels, and you’ll likely miss out on much more if you’re always texting, snapchatting or tweeting. Put it down. Make the most of your surroundings, and live in the real world for as much as you can. Although you might get FOMO not checking your feeds for a while, remember you’ve got forever to do that. Live in the now.

Embrace the culture of your destination

Be sure to embrace the culture of your destination, too. Visit temples, museums and other sites of cultural and historical importance to really understand what shaped the country you’re in, as well as the current way of life.

You’ll realise quickly that cultural norms and customs differ massively from country to country—observe them and you’ll learn something new from every place you visit. In Southeast Asia, for example, spirituality is prevalent in almost every country within the region, and there’s plenty of lessons to be learned through it.

Think about life back at home

When travelling, you’re presented with some opportunities for reflecting on the life you’ve temporarily left behind. Whether it’s work woes, disagreements with friends or family or even money troubles, travelling has the ability to clear your head and present you with brand new perspectives.

Be sure to think about anything that’s bothering you about home life, and work out a way to rectify it. Don’t let it burden you, though—seek clarification instead of frustration.

Say yes to everything

Last but not least, it’s important you don’t pass up on any opportunities offered. Say yes to everything (within reason) and make the most of your time seeing the world. You’ll regret it if you don’t—and by opening yourself up to everything on the table, you’ll learn a lot about yourself, as well as life in general, that you can then take with you on the flight back home. Travelling changes you forever in the best way possible.

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Photo credits: Jérémie Crémer, Jared Rice, Steven Lewis, Ted Bryan Yu, Tyler Nix