Vawn's Blog

Traveling with emotional baggage

VAWN HIMMELSBACH, Chic Savvy Travels

I’ve always believed the worst time to travel is when you’re running away from something. It’s an emotionally charged decision based on the fight-or-flight response. And the worst part? You’ll discover that even in the most remote places on the planet, whatever you’re running from will be right there with you, in your head.

But lately, I’ve been thinking about this a little differently — there’s running away, and then there’s getting some perspective. Sometimes, throwing yourself into a completely different context can also put your problems into a completely different context.

Kind of like when you see a movie that transports you into another world and makes your problems — at least temporarily — seem trivial. (I highly recommend Denis Villeneuve’s Incendies for this purpose).

Sometimes it’s okay to cut bait, just as long as you’re honest with yourself about why you’re doing it. I remember meeting a fellow backpacker a few years back in Laos — she was devastated by a recent breakup, so she hopped on a plane to Southeast Asia and spent most of her time in a drunken haze sleeping with any guy who’d have her. She was miserable, trying to fill in a void with empty experiences rather than facing it head-on. She also put herself in a lot of risky situations.

But I’ve also met some remarkable travelers who’ve gone through tragedies or life-altering experiences and were able to find moments of joy and new meaning in life from the people they met and experiences they had in a foreign land that forced them outside their comfort zone.

One thing I’ve learned is if you’re feeling crappy about something in your life, travel isn’t going to make you feel less crappy about it. When you get on a plane, you’re packing all that emotional baggage with you, and it will weigh you down more than a stack of books and too many shoes in your backpack — if you let it.

Because travel can also give you perspective, clarity and insight. If you’re prepared to use this time (and there will be lots and lots of time to spend in your head, like those 18-hour bus rides) facing the devils that chase you, then travel truly becomes a journey — uncomfortable at times, but ultimately rewarding.
Vawn

Date Added: February 25, 2011 | Comments (1)