How and why can traveling unlock your fears?
During high school, students need to start discovering their true passions and thinking about their future paths. They are aware of the importance of this choice, so lots of them tend to be uncertain and insecure about their future. Students start stressing out about everything and they usually have no particular support or someone to rely on to help them to understand their vocation.
In my opinion, the most recommended method to figure out your aspirations is trying. Experiences, especially abroad, get you out of your comfort zone. Thanks to them, you can finally be conscious of your abilities and reactions in front of an unknown environment. It exposes you to new challenges, perspectives, and cultures; you will be forced to adapt and become independent to better define your strengths and weaknesses. You get to know other lifestyles and this helps you understand if that would be the way you want to live and if you’re ready for it. It is also common that new situations may bring new opportunities you haven’t considered before.
My experience
Since my childhood, my parents used to take me abroad with them. I visited many countries and was lucky enough to have a vision of the world since I was little.
Last year I participated in an exchange with my class in Spain. I spent one week in November in Gandia, near Valencia, where each of us was paired with one of the local students, and they came to Italy in March. That was my first experience abroad on my own, and it truly helped me grow more as a person. I managed to adapt myself to completely new circumstances with a completely new way of living. One of the most notable differences was the timing of the daily activities carried out by the Spanish people. One night I was out with the Spanish students and one of my friends’ mother had to pick us up to take us home. She arrived at the town center at 4 am after she came back from a party and was super active. I was shocked by that because my parents would never come to pick me up at 4 am in my town center, and if they did, they would be so sleepy.
In July, I went to an orientation boot camp in Oxford for a week. I got to know foreign students and different habits from mine. I met people from Slovakia, France, Morocco, and so on. It was exciting to talk to each other and compare our different lifestyles. I learned some of their traditions and habits. I also discovered a new passion of mine: French rap.
In January, I’ll leave Italy for 6 months for an exchange program in the USA. It’ll be challenging but I hope it’ll demonstrate my desire for traveling and having experiences abroad.
All these experiences made me grow a lot and helped me improve my personal skills. Thanks to them I realized that trying new experiences is difficult, but it’s the best way to know your true self.
Tips
- Don’t be insecure and challenge yourself! Don’t let your fears keep you in your comfort zone. It’s essential not to let them overwhelm you. Step into the unknown with confidence and preparation and look for challenges that force you to adapt. Facing problems is an opportunity to overcome your doubts and to prove to yourself how capable you are.
- Be open-minded! We’re all pretty different in different ways: culturally, habitually, and personally. We need to adapt, even if certain situations are out of our usual routines. It’s important to collaborate and be open-minded with one another.
- Communication and comprehension are the keys! If something bothers you, don’t be afraid to talk about it and try to change it. There will be people who will comprehend you and be ready to help.
- Positivity always! Having experiences abroad forces you to be on your own. There will be problems, but remember the reasons why you’re doing that and try to see the positive sides, not only the negative ones.
Remember
The last advice I’d like to give is to keep focus on your personal character and development. It’ll lead you to growth and self-discovery. Don’t take anything for granted and seize the opportunities.
It happens that people don’t want to leave because they’re afraid of changing character and personality. The truth is that these experiences add traits and knowledge to your personality. You just have to stay true to who you are and, meanwhile, explore life.
My experiences show that and, even if you heard these pieces of advice 100 times, they’re fundamental to keep in mind for future adventures.
Now it’s your turn.
