Why do you want to leave for a long journey?

It’s a mess at work, my girlfriend’s gone, the family’s at war… Ouch! You might leave without noticing with all these problems packed in your backpack!

If you leave your problems behind, the world is round, you’ll end up with them in front of you.

The journey can eventually change you, help you to take distance, see things from a new perspective, but, at some point, you will have to deal with the problem that pushed you so far away from home.

 

It takes strength and courage to cast off, much more, I believe, than to sit there simmering in daily frustration.

Those who leave because they feel suffocated, do so to breathe, to draw elsewhere the energy they lack in their country, their home… their family.

If they have exhausted all available resources and cannot find any other way out, this is probably the right solution.

 

Our beautiful society is very anxious. It often gives us the feeling that despite our good education, our diplomas and our Nike, we won’t achieve anything in life: find a job, a real one and finally reach happiness.  

Travel can help us to become aware of its value.  

The world is very different in other latitudes. What seems to us completely useless and worthless in Europe is of inestimable value under other skies. Knowing how to write, read and count, having the ability to put problems into equations, finding the unknown X, speaking English, knowing how to communicate effectively, having good management skills, knowing how to cook or bake… I’m not saying that with this baggage you will be able to fill your pockets with cash (why not?), but I’m sure that you will come back richer in yourself, full of self-esteem and much more confident in the future.

 

Good resolution then! On a trip you will have time to think about who you really are and what you really want.

To find yourself or to find yourself again, you sometimes have to get lost first.

What do I want to do with my life? What am I really capable of?

Going away can help us reconsider. Away from the shackles, the rules, the relatives, we have the possibility to reinvent ourselves, to challenge ourselves a little more than in our own circle.

 

Of course, the context, the people, the climate, everything is different. But beware, I think the time of the Eldoradoes is well and truly over. If you want to “find” something, it’s better to have a project, a guiding thread. Going on an adventure is sometimes dangerously close to going adrift. It’s good, good and very brave to throw yourself on the road and see what’s coming, but I think it’s better to already have an idea of what you’re really looking for. For this I recommend a little introspection beforehand so as not to lose yourself body and soul.

 

Not sure. The trip can be a lot… or nothing at all.

Travel is a little like money, it won’t make the traveler a better person with a magic wand. It’s a bit like a tool, depending on how you use it.

If you leave with high expectations, mismanaged anger, prejudices about people in general, and an unopened mind, the harvest is likely to be meagre. Any experiences you have will reinforce the idea that the world is rotten and full of selfish people.

 

Great project, simple and clear. Stay open to what comes up without having too many expectations. No disappointment in the end, you are ready to deal with the problems, to see and listen, to find the beauty and the ugliness, the good and the bad. Then the journey may live up to its promises.

 

Beware of the glowing tales of friends returning from a trip. They have sparks in their eyes, extraordinary stories to tell and it makes us drool with envy. For one thing, it’s not always completely true. It’s human, we always want to impress the gallery and come back with a positive experience. 

Beware, your feelings and emotions will not be the same!

Then, the friends’ trip is not yours. We have different personalities and the place and time will not be the same!

 

In this selection, you may have found one of the origins of your desire for a long trip. Lucid or not, don’t be afraid to try the experience of the great journey, the most important thing to avoid disappointments is to be able to make the most of it.