There’s always a little anxiety for me before a trip like this. Any travel I’ve done recently to places like Turkey or Sri Lanka invoke some trepidation even though I’m always either traveling with, or meeting someone, who has been there (my wife is gutsier than I am, 10 years ago she just picked up and backpacked Nepal… solo).
BUT, anytime I’m nervous about a change I remind myself that it’s an opportunity for growth. I’ve learned to harness that nervousness into motivation. If your perspective is that however it turns out, it will inspire and educate you, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The key is being adaptable and keeping an open mind. Traveling with a strict itinerary or high expectations usually ends in frustration and disappointment. On the other hand, staying flexible allows for last minute changes that I find lead to a more enriching experience.
In college I ran an Outdoor program for awhile. We took students and staff on whitewater rafting trips, skydiving trips, climbing trips, so on. On one of our whitewater rafting trips was an older woman whose husband worked at the college. She said once a year she takes a trip to challenge her. The trip, she said, needed to be something she wouldn’t ordinarily do or scared her. This particular year it was whitewater rafting. She’s been an inspiration to me ever since.
Bottom line, when we stop challenging and scaring ourselves a little, we stop growing. I don’t think I’ll ever stop being anxious before trips like this, but I also hope I never stop going due to fear. For the reality is, the only regrets I really have in life are the chances I didn’t take.
