Since I first traveled to the Republic of Estonia in the summer of 2010, I’ve known I wanted to return. It was my first experience traveling outside the US, but it was also so much more than that. I learned that traveling, as much as living, is an art. It takes creativity and openness to the unknown to do successfully.
Firstly and most vitally, travel is about people. You travel not just to tell people about your adventures when you return home, but also to meet people while you are there. They can be old penfriends, people you bump into on the street, or acquaintances. The goal is simple and remains the same: you are acting as an ambassador for your nation, your culture, and, most importantly, you are representing yourself. Be active and engaged. Talk to the people you meet on the street, who sit next to you on the plane and on the bus, and who look friendly and approachable. They might be your next penfriend or your next place to stay on your next adventure. Never forget to engage the people around you as you never know what that conversation might lead to unless you try. I’m planning on my next trip to the Baltic, staying with dear friends I’ve made in Sweden and Estonia. I’ll be working to earn money for this trip. But the exciting possibilities that this offers and the opportunities for further adventures that this opens up is my motivation. I know that travel is all about the people.
Secondly, travel is about location. Go to a place that calls you, beckoning you to learn and explore. For example, my original trip to Estonia was preceded by hours and hours of research about the country. I started on Wikipedia, but from there I found countless other sources of information. Soon, I was talking with Estonians themselves. Based on my research on Estonian history, government, culture, etc. I had formed a mental picture of what Estonia was like and what it meant to be an Estonian. I could talk about local geography and instantly knew where my penfriends lived and could guess what their lives might be like. Furthermore, this showed my interest in their identity and the effort that I had put into learning about what that meant to them. When I arrived in Estonia, the sites I saw and the places I went meant infinitely more to me than if I had just read a travel guide. I felt a personal and emotional connection to the land and its people and that is what made me love it.
I hope these travel tips have been helpful to you. I’m working hard to manifest this dream of mine into a reality. Travel is about enriching your life with vibrant experiences, taking you out of your comfort-zone, and adding a breath of fresh air to your life. With that in mind, that is what life its all about. We must challenge our assumptions and brake free from normalcy and compliancy. This life is about adventure. Go and live it.
explorewsam