Sometimes we find ourselves stuck in a bit of a rut. It’s totally normal to feel as if you are stagnating in life sometimes. Life can get incredibly busy, and also incredibly monotonous at the same time. You’ll find yourself walking through life on autopilot every day, not quite knowing how you got to work that morning or what you had for dinner. The problem with living our lives this way is that we tend to forget what’s important and we take things for granted.
Sometimes the best way to combat these feelings in your life is to make a drastic change. One way of doing this is to get yourself away from the comfort and familiarity of home. You will have probably heard lots of stories about people leaving the country in search of something new and finding themselves along the way. And although that does sound incredibly cheesy, it is true. By leaving your home, family and friends for a short time, you can begin to focus your mind on yourself. It is only at this point that we really learn who we are and what we want out of life. Getting yourself a rental house or backpacking to hostels for a few weeks could be the pivotal point in your life where you realise what’s important and how you want to live when you get back home.
When you do make the brave decision to escape from your life and experience new things for a while, you will have to start thinking about how you will find the trip and what kind of things you want to do while you are away. It many of us can afford to go a month without getting paid, so it might be that you take on some part time work on your travels or even do some freelance jobs while you are away. Try to avoid the tourist traps and instead immerse yourself in the authentic foreign culture which holidaymakers don’t often see.
Think about what kind of things you want to experience on your travels. It could be that you want to go and visit conservation projects in different parts of the world such as orangutans in Borneo- if so you can find the best places around that area to go. Maybe you just want to get away from technology and stay silent for a few weeks- for this you could go to South Africa or South America. Or maybe you want to explore and conquer some of the biggest mountains in the world- in this case a trip to the Himalayas would be ideal. You need to really think about what you want to get out of the trip, and from this the destination will just appear right in front of your nose.
Rent An Apartment or House
If on your journey you plan to spend one week in one place before moving on to the next, the easiest option could be to rent a home for the week. Just like you would on a holiday in your own country, renting a house for the week will give you the freedom to travel around the area and to cook your own food at the end of the day. You’ll be able to shop at foreign supermarkets and try your hand at cooking with foreign ingredients. It might seem a little weird at first but it could open your eyes to a lot of new foods. It will also be a much nicer experience for you than travelling from hostel to hostel throughout your trip. You’ll save money on food and have the privacy you require as you get used to being in another country.
Work away
If you are planning to stay out of the county for over a month, you might want to look at getting a job. Many places in Europe will offer travellers the chance to work with them for the summer period when they need more manpower. You could be serving food at a restaurant, helping with bartending on the main strip, or working in a small shop. Because people will have tourists visiting more often in the summer months, they will be grateful to have an extra pair of hands to help out.
If you work remotely then it will be even easier for you to travel as you work. If you are not confined to an office, you can travel wherever and whenever you like, all you will need to worry about is the internet connection in the oka es you stay.
Try to cook for yourself
When you save up all year for a holiday in the sunshine, the last thing you want to do is spend the week cooking. This is why many families will take extra money for meals and drinks each night while they are away. However when you are going to be staying in a country for longer than that, the spending will mount up pretty quickly. To prevent yourself from burning out too quickly you need to try and learn to cook for yourself each day as you are away. Think of this new country as your home for the time you are there, and make a trip to the supermarket to do your weekly shop. Although different countries do have a lot of different cuisines, you will find that general foods like fruit, vegetables and meat are pretty much the same. The good thing about this is that you will be encouraged to eat more healthily than at home, and you may find that you discover lots of new foods that you love.
Don’t Shop
It can be very difficult to stop yourself from scouring the high street and giving into temptation when you are away, because you are on holiday after all. However, if you do want to save some money for experiencing everything you want to do, you need to stop yourself from slashing the cash every day on treats.
Try something that scares you
You’ve come all this way to get away from the safety and security of your home, so why would you back away from a challenge now? Just because you’ve never jumped off a cliff into the sea doesn’t mean you can’t try it now. Let yourself make the most of the experience by trying things you would never have dreamed of. Meet new people, make friends and have an adventure. Climb a mountain and look down on the world, and enjoy the feeling of fresh air on your face.It is in times of great adversity that we really learn how strong we are.
Live in the moment
Although you might be tempted to update everyone on social media every 5 minutes of the trip: out your phone away. You are in a totally new place now, so put away the screen and live in the moment, enjoy things as they happen and make sure that you can come home with the most amazing memories in the world. You can still take a couple of photos to treasure the moment and for your Instagram feed when you get home, but while you are here: live it.
Relax
The whole point of coming out to a new part of the world is to get away from your stressful life and allow yourself to immerse in life once more. Stop stressing about the little things and focus on the positives in your life. Let yourself forget about the traffic you face when you leave for the office every morning, or the annoying colleague who tries to make small talk before you’ve had your morning coffee. Forget about your life for a few weeks and focus on the here and now. Walk on the beach and feel the sand between your toes, climb a mountain and watch the world go by, take a swim in the sea amongst fish and other creatures. You have the opportunity here to look after your mental health and refresh your soul. Take it and make the most of this moment of peace you have before you go back home.
Learn something new
The great thing about travel is that it broadens the mind. Where you are used to waking up, eating your toast and going out to work: you could be waking up, eating fresh fruit as you look out on the ocean. Life is different all over the world, and the benefit of this is that you can learn new things. You could learn the methods and teachings of yoga and meditation in India, the art of Hygge in Denmark, or even how to play steel drums in Africa. There are so many different skills and people in the world, take the chance to get to know them and learn from them. It will allow you to come home feeling much more rounded and informed. You can use what you learn to influence the people you love and open their eyes to the bigger picture.
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