Growing up, I remember being curious about the world and wanting to travel when I finished school. Luckily, after I completed my undergraduate degree, I was fortunate to travel around Europe for 7 weeks. I left to England in late August, first stopping in Walsall, UK to visit my extended family. I had not seen them since I was 10 years old. It was nice to reconnect with my dad’s side of the family. I also met some of my mom’s relatives who also lived in the UK. Everyone was so friendly and I loved hearing the accent. Walking around the small town, I quickly figured out the roads and every morning I would walk to my mom’s aunt’s house and then I would go to another relatives for lunch and dinner. My days were very busy visiting one relative to the next. I enjoyed connecting with my relatives and the more I saw the British way of living, the more I fell in love with the atmosphere and place.
Joining a Tour Group
After visiting my relatives, I joined a small tour group for two weeks. I met the group in one of the London tube stations. There were people from various places in the world and it was so unique to spend two weeks travelling across Europe together sharing experiences. I remember so vividly how I felt when I first stepped off the train at our first stop on tour, in Interlaken, Switzerland. Breathing in the most freshest air I have ever breathed. It was so crisp, nothing like any other place I had travelled to so far. The water also tasted so fresh and pure. I kept wanting more!
Learning Experiences
The critical thinking and problem solving was the most challenging experience for me, as I encountered many situations where I felt quite overwhelmed as I toured around however, I learned a lot about myself and it helped me grow as in individual. Before joining the group tour, I travelled around Aran Islands in Ireland. When I missed a bus due to a tight connection, I had to re-arrange my travel plans and made adjustments accordingly. I realized I should have left more time to explore in places as it took time to get around from the sight seeing places. I also learned to be okay with plans not going according to as planned. I learned to pivot and go with the flow of what was needed in that moment.
In Interlaken, I signed up for a ropes obstacle course and I had very little sleep the night before from travelling. I felt anxious as the instructor was explaining how to use the latches on the ropes. The steps were not registering and when we tried out the course, I tried to remember the steps however, I just couldn’t seem to wrap my head around it. Looking back now, it was not so much steps, it was the whole atmosphere. I felt anxiety as the instructor appeared frustrated that I was not understanding how to clip on the hooks. I kept trying the whole one hour even though my brain was exhausted. If I encountered this situation again, I would definitely take a break and just re-evaluate what was best for my body and brain.
One of my favourite trips and experiences was hiking Machu Picchu in Peru. I met such a sweet couple who were my parents age. I instantly connected with them. The women was vegan like me and the man had the best sense of humor, always kept everyone in the group laughing. When I got sick half way into the trip, the couple were so nurturing and caring towards me. I felt like I had my parents with me the entire time. When I said good-bye to them at the end of the trip, it was quite emotional. I felt like I had known them years. We kept in touch over the years and I feel like its one of those rare connections you find in a lifetime. I am blessed.
This brings me to reflect on “place” and “land” I could find similarities of living everywhere I went. The one thing I found in all the places I travelled was “connection”. Everywhere I went, there was a connection to the place, land and people. I found curiosity and love everywhere.
From my travel experiences, I learned a lot about what my body needed and how my brain worked. I need that extra processing time when there is a lot going on especially when I have had limited hours of sleep. I learned the value of connection and power of relationships.
