Skip to main content

Some paths are meant to be travelled alone

TRP Challenge 8: Travel somewhere new, alone
Visiting somewhere you have never been before really is one pf the most exhilarating & exciting things you can experience. It takes you out of your comfort zone and opens up your senses to everything going on around you. It is so easy in our day to day lives to get lost in work, relationships, money or what to have dinner that we forget to stop and appreciate the amazing things around us. Immersing yourself in somewhere new means you can fully embrace all of the small things which make each place so unique.
I've always travelled with other people. I have been interrailing a couple of times, and had the absolute time of my life. I have been to India with a group from school, I've been on countless family holidays and had some of the best weeks of my life on holiday with my school friends. I feel very lucky and privileged to have been able to see so many countries and experience so many different places. However, until recently I had never ever been away by myself before.
Last year I flew out to meet my family in the South of France for 5 days of sunbathing & indulgence before then jetting off to the USA to meet my friend Robyn & her family. It was the first time I had flown by myself, and although I was nervous to begin with, I actually loved it. Other than having an absolute mare at Chicago airport (lost baggage & a 4 hour wait to go through immigration) I really enjoyed the whole experience.
Around a month ago I was sat at home one evening & on a whim booked myself a weekend to Brussels. Following a rough month or so, I decided that just what I needed was a trip away to somewhere new to reignite that passion for life I knew it would bring. After some deliberation, I decided to go on my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I could spend a weekend completely alone and still enjoy myself. I wanted to prove that even though I sometimes suffered from anxiety, it didn't define me or stop me from doing the things I love.
Going away alone for the weekend is one of the best decisions I have ever made. It was a real two fingers up to the anorexia which controlled my life for so long. I ate frites for lunch, I drank beer on a walking tour, I had a waffle for breakfast. I stayed out till midnight swing dancing with strangers. I spoke to people from all over the world.
The main moment which sticks out to me from the trip was on Saturday night when I sat watching strangers dance to music from the 30's. I looked around at all the diverse people and had a moment of deep reflection. I thought about how each of these individuals had their own unique and complex web of difficulties which they face, whether that be financial, relationships, health, self-esteem, work or anything in between. Each of those strangers had negative things which had happened to them, each of them would have experienced some kind of heart break. And yet here they all were, dancing with friends, family, and even people they have never met before. I fully appreciated the resilience of human kind, and in that moment I felt that warm fuzzy feeling of pure, utter, unrestrained happiness.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Life isn't all sunshine and roses

In the grand scheme of things, I am a very lucky person. This isn't me being boastful, I'm stating an obvious fact which many of us cease to notice the majority of the time. I won the biological lottery. Well I came in joint first with my twin sister. Sharing is caring. Not only did we win the great sperm race, we also hit it pretty lucky with the life we were born into. I was brought up by a loving family, in a small market town, with lots of friends and relatives around me. I hit the jackpot in having a twin sister, which meant I always had my best friend by my side, and someone who would fiercely defend me to the bitter end. I went to a good school & have a university education. I have a well paid job and live in a lovely flat in a quaint town with a stranger who has become one of my best friends.  When you have a life like this, it's easy to think you should be happy with what you have. But I'm not happy. I'm not sad, but I'm ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Walk towards the good in life and one day you will arrive

TRP Challenge 4: Walk to work My fondest childhood memories come from summers spent holidaying in Cornwall. A particularly pertinent one is of me racing my sister and Grandad up the hill next to Daymer Bay. When we weren't running up the hill, we would stroll along the side of the golf course, explore the sand dunes and trek up to the top. The view from the top was always worth the climb, and Daymer Bay still remains my 'happy place', even though I haven't been for several years now. When I find myself suffering from severe anxiety, emotional distress or unable to sleep, I close my eyes and picture myself walking along the beach. I breathe in every sensation, the feeling of sand between my toes, the cool Cornish breeze, the smell of salt air & the feeling of the sun on my face. It brings me comfort and allows me a means to escape the distressing place my mind is in. I often imagine myself walking up the hill, looking out over the estuary. I first use...
Post a Comment
Read more

A problem shared is a problem halved

TRP Challenge 3: Go back to therapy Growing up, our Mum always taught us that sharing is caring. I think it comes with the territory of being a twin. You share your birthday, your toys, your family and even your room (Me and Molly shared till we were 14!) Sharing is part of the package when you have a large family, you have to learn to do this or risk spending your time on the naughty step. However, material objects, birthdays and even space are a lot easier to share than feelings and emotions, especially when your head is a constant tornado of worries, doubts and paranoia. I remember my first experience of therapy like it was yesterday. I was at University in Liverpool, miles away from my family & then boyfriend, terrified and feeling almost constantly lonely, even when surrounded by friends. I was lost in my own mind. The room was dark & covered in posters about self-help and charities supporting bereavement, mental health problems and stress. I felt sick t...
Post a Comment
Read more