Healing Through Travel
The road to healing begins by journeying within ourselves. The truth is, healing doesn’t have to take place in a holy land under the guidance of a shaman or Buddhist monk.
We are quite capable of getting uncomfortable in our homes. But for me, I couldn’t journey within until I ventured out into the world. I had to remove myself from the comforts of home because their temptations were too great. It was too easy for me to keep doing things I had always done them because their familiarity and predictable outcomes created a sense of safety, albeit a false one.
Minca, Colombia
So I decided to venture out into the world to spread my wings, to prove to myself that I could respond to its unpredictability.
Through traveling…
I learned self-reliance. I can navigate city streets, public transportation, rural roads, and endless trails that traverse the mountains to get to any destination I please. I can handle sicknesses, going to the ER, being stuck without water or electricity for days, among so many other happenstance things that seem to only happen when one travels.
I learned to receive. In a world that applauds martyrdom & hyper-independence, I now know that receiving from another person is, many times, a gift in itself.
I learned to be autonomous. In a foreign country, I am removed from my normal life, where I’m heavily influenced by what society/family/friends tell me I should be doing, feeling, or wanting. I discovered what I actually want to be doing, feeling, and wanting.
I learned the power of feelings & emotions. The unique experiences the great Universe has bestowed upon me has awakened me to passionate, intense feelings. This has ultimately led me to break open as a person, especially as a woman. Traveling carries with it a certain freedom that allows the self to open up & expand. As such, I’ve been able to release so much trauma & pain I’ve stored & hidden in my body. It has also guided me to actually feel & thus chase higher feelings like bliss, peace, & euphoria.
I reinstated a sense of self that I can be proud of. I consider my trips to be like my children, a grand creation I conjure from my resources. I have become a ”resourceress.”
I learned that I am human and that making mistakes is normal. I have given up my rules of perfection and now embrace my hiccups. Everything in life is a lesson.
I learned the first steps toward vulnerability. I now make deep connections with strangers that allow me to show raw aspects of myself that I typically wouldn't share.
I learned how to achieve communion with Source in the remoteness of nature.
I learned to care less about my body image. My energy is what values more than gold
I learned two core values:
Don’t let life get too safe.
Keep the world big.
The more I align with these values and apply these lessons to my life, the more I thrive and live a life that I love.
