First steps: Leaving Home

HOW TO BEGIN YOUR TRIP IN THE BEST PLACE POSSIBLE

Leaving home is never a simple feat, especially when it’s to catch a one way flight and begin an adventure with a hell of a lot of unknowns. 

I would know, because that’s what I did in mid January of 2024. 

Having caught the travel bug in my mid-teens thanks to a family trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, I was itching to get my post-covid travel fix. I had the privilege of experiencing the joys of travel at a relatively young age and was tired of being cooped up in my own country. 

However, this time was a little different. 

For the last few years I had been incredibly career-focussed and this had quickly consumed most of my life as a beginning teacher. Any recent graduate in education will tell you that those first couple of years are some of the busiest of your career, and my first few years were nothing short of a hectic combination of teaching, creating resources, revamping curriculum, coaching, managing sports and all sorts of other work-related commitments on the side. I loved my job, but in case that long list didn’t hint at a lack of work-life balance, I really struggled to take time for myself and ultimately hit a wall of burn out in late 2023. 

This, combined with the multitude of travel videos that littered my social media feeds led me to the conclusion that I needed an elongated break from teaching to reconnect with myself, recharge, and explore what else the world has to offer. 

Fast forward to January 21st 2024, where a girl from NZ sat next to her backpack in the Auckland Airport terminal, having just said goodbye to the last members of her family and filled to the brim with both nerves and excitement about the adventure ahead. 

These were the first steps of the big journey, and most possibly the hardest. Leaving everything you know and have become accustomed to in order to pursue a trip that ultimately doesn’t have much direction besides ‘Southeast Asia’, seems borderline insanity when you read it on paper. Alas, it was the best thing I could have ever done for my headspace and personal growth, and I learnt a fair few things from it that I want to share with you.

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In case you’re heading away on a trip of your own soon, or even if you’re about to embark on a different kind of adventure, perhaps a relocation, new job, or different experience, hopefully this can help you overcome that first step. 

Document the moment. 

One of the best things I did was take a video of myself sat in that terminal as a memento of what I was feeling. In this video I spoke to my future self about my emotions, the things I was most nervous about, what I expected from my first days and weeks abroad, and what I hoped to achieve in this time too. Months later, I still return to this video, marvelling at that girl who was quite frankly terrified if she was making the right choice, and so very proud of her courage to do it anyway. 

Sit with uncomfortable feelings. 

Much like the point above, these feelings of discomfort and trepidation give you a point of reference to compare your personal development to. I no longer sit in airports with feelings as strong as these, because my experiences have proven I can do all of this and beyond. I’m forever grateful for the ability of these first moments to demonstrate such growth. 

Have your first few days/weeks planned.

This point is completely dependent on what kind of person you are while travelling and how far ahead you like to plan. For me, I had no idea as to what level of organisation I preferred in order to be free to adjust plans as opportunity arose, while also being mindful to not completely stress myself out by having no plan at all. No matter how ‘planned’ you want to be throughout your travels, I really do believe you should have at least the first few days booked with a general direction for your travel within the first country you’re landing in. This is to avoid unnecessary overwhelm once you get into your first country, and allow you to become accustomed to the different culture, food, and requirements of it without chewing through brain power trying to figure out a sloppy route and hurriedly book things from there. 

Have your funds in order.

One of the biggest things I pat myself on the back for was my pre-travel mentality around saving. Back then, and even now, this provides a lot of relief knowing that I have enough to back myself if things go wrong and I can dedicate the next while to my trip. I can’t imagine the extra stress had I decided to head away with very little cash in the bank. This isn’t to say that it can’t be done, but my advice if you’re wanting to travel but are currently lacking funds is to save a little more until you are in a more comfortable spot before going. It really has made such a difference to my time away knowing that I have that extra layer of security. 

Relish in the person you are before you leave as this will be the lasting point of comparison to the ‘you before travel’.

People say that travel changes you, and it’s true.  The upcoming adventures will mould you in ways you cannot yet imagine, and open your eyes to so much more. When you look back on how far you’ve come, this pre-travel  version of you will serve as a checkpoint for reflection. 

In my eyes, the first move is always the hardest, as it feels like taking your feet off the ground and not knowing where exactly they’ll land next. Approach the adventure with a positive outlook, a sense of adventure, and a bit of humour because it really does make all the difference. 

Signing off, 

Alisa Wanders