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Traveling alone is a unique opportunity to not only learn about yourself, but the person you want to be.
When you're at home, how often are you surrounded by people that know nothing about you? Yes, you read that right: not people who know you but people who don't know you.
When people know nothing about you, you get to present yourself however you want. When you’re out there on your own, you get to decide who you are.
Even if you're traveling for only a short time, it's a really cool chance to have a blank slate - to be whoever you want to be. Additionally, you have the ability to look back at your 'normal' life from a different perspective and you may be surprised what you see.
It can be hard to change into a better version of yourself when you're always living the same life but getting outside of it allows you to perceive yourself in a new light.
You won't return home as the exact same person who left.
You can learn a lot from the way you present yourself to new people. So pay attention.
Observe yourself
When I'm traveling, I pay attention to the little things I do and say. I become aware of the way I am and compare it to the way I am at home.
Am I more outgoing? More reserved? Less hesitant? More open? Do I take more risks? What do I reveal about myself?
If I notice a difference, I ask myself “why?”
It’s not always a question I can answer but starting that internal dialogue and becoming aware of it is huge.
Whether I come up with answers doesn't really matter. Instead, I simply contemplate which version of me I like better and then try to bring that forth in my daily life.
If I realize there’s something I dislike about myself, I have the perfect chance to leave it somewhere far from home and return from my travels a bit lighter.
If there’s something I notice that I really like about who I am while I’m out there on my own, I’m taking it home with me. It's like my own personal life souvenir.
The real you is already in there. Sometimes it just takes being totally on your own to peel away the layers and see through to what's inside.
So, get out there. Travel solo. Get to know yourself.
Take some things. Leave some things.
Go home an upgraded version of YOU.
