It’s a wonderful thing, I think, to be awakened. When for so long you were asleep. Oblivious to anything outside your bubble. Outside your comfort zone.
But when you awaken, it feels as if your soul has finally found what it has been looking for. That piece of your puzzle that was missing.
That light switch turned on inside your mind and something is telling you that from here on, your life is going to change direction.
That’s what happened to 18-year-old me.
Three years deep into a long term relationship, having just become a certified Personal Trainer and landing an incredible job.
Life was good. Or at least I thought it was. Until I went on a two week trip through Thailand, with my older sister. That was when the seed had been planted and little did I know, life was about to get a whole lot better.
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My first trip overseas as an adult.
I did a 2-week tour with a travel company called Geckos Adventures. The tour started in Bangkok and finished in Phuket.
This was the first time I had done a trip like this. But it certainly wasn’t going to be the last.
The group was a mix of one couple, quite a few solo travellers (male and female) and then my sister and myself.
Being an introvert, I was a bit nervous and shy to talk to these strangers. But over dinner, we all introduced ourselves and soon the conversations were flowing.
I became fascinated by hearing my fellow travellers share their stories from previous adventures.
One story-from a solo female traveller-of how she had recently worked as a Camp Counsellor in the United States over summer.
The idea of living and working in another country was so foreign to me, I wanted to learn more.
We continued exploring Thailand, heading south.
From overnight sleeper trains that had the most basic of toilets (literally a hole in the floor as you watch the train tracks fly by underneath you), to homestays in a small fishing village built on stilts, this trip opened my eyes like I had never expected.
The culture, the people, the countryside and the simplicity of it all made me fall in love with, and eager to explore new places.
So this is what it felt like to finally be awakened. To find that missing piece of my puzzle.
By pushing out of my comfortable little bubble, I found my true passion. Travel.
And not just any travel. It’s the type of travel that sets your soul alight. Something that is hard to put into words, but must be experienced to truly feel the magic of it.
This was the catalyst for my next adventure that would see me end my 4-year relationship, quit my job and move to the U.S. to work at a summer camp.
Talk about life changing huh.
Not only that, it helped me find the confidence to travel the world as a single female and saved me from a home infested with negative energy and domestic violence.
If it hadn’t been for this trip, who knows where my path would have led to. I may never have discovered my passion for travel, my wild adventurous side, or my spiritual wanderess.
I am a believer in things happening for a reason. Even though we may not always see why at the time. For in time, the universe eventually reveals the answers, and everything will make sense.
If ever you are unsure of taking that trip overseas, just remember that life is far too short to be wondering “what if”. But be prepared, because, without a doubt, you will return a different person. Perhaps a better version.
Moon Lane Media 