What a gift it is to live in a time where we can hop on a plane and head wherever we desire! No matter where you go or what you do, there are some beautiful things you realize when you travel that stay in your heart forever.
If you’re getting ready to head on an adventure, or want to get yourself in the mood for one, read on! Here are 5 beautiful things you realize when you travel.
Some of the Beautiful Things You Realize Remind You of Home
By that, I mean the night sky is the same.
I love the stars and the constellations. When I was young I would take my constellation book into my yard on a clear night. The evening air of the Texas countryside is so crisp and clean – you can see everything. I would stand there, neck craned, trying to match them up. Orion here, the Big Dipper there.
When you start packing up, you realize all the little things you’ll miss about home. The cicadas chirping, the sweet tea.
But one thing remains.
One night, when you get to where you’re going, you’ll look up and realize that the sky is the same.
Orion is still here. The Big Dipper is still there. Or if you’ve entered a different hemisphere, new constellations. But the same glowing beauty is still there – the same moon and companions, lighting up the darkness.
Some things follow you everywhere you go.
Some of the Beautiful Things You Realize Keep You Grounded
Like the realization that at the end of the day…. a place is only a place.
The world is so magical and exciting. What a privilege it is to hear a new language in your ears. To eat new foods, to love in new ways. It’s a fantastical universe we live in, full of all the wonderful things we never knew we wanted to see.
And yet… a time comes when those things become normal. Commonplace. Once something to write home about, but no longer.
After some time… you can even get bored.
In those moments, some worry. The question Am I grateful enough arises.
But that is life.
At the end of the day, a place is still just a place.
So you learn to let it be a place. And when it’s time, the magic comes alive again.
This One Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity
It turns out that we are all the same.
Landing in a new country is like entering a swirly, chaotic twilight zone. Nothing makes sense – not the language, not the customs, not the rules.
Even if you’ve prepared for it your whole life, it still feels like madness.
But you know what you can always count on?
People.
There’s the waitress at the local restaurant who gives you her Instagram and lets you know she’ll braid your hair if you need it. Haircare products can be hard to come by here.
She’s not American.
No matter. She gets it.
There’s the woman at the DMV who gets you the local visa so you can travel through the country easily. But you didn’t bring the right documents, and you’re stressed.
She tells you to go home, get them, and come back tomorrow.
The DMV is an hour and half away from your apartment.
She understands. She’ll wait for you all day.
People are kind everywhere you go.
Some of the Beautiful Things You Realize Lighten the Load
Like the fact that you don’t need much to feel at home.
I don’t want to see a single American flag while I’m abroad.
I know.
Here’s the thing. You won’t miss the politics, you won’t miss needing a car. You won’t even miss the massive meals that put you in a coma.
But the slight difference in the taste of your favorite soda will make you pause. Paying for water will make your head spin.
And when you need to use the restroom in the middle of your shopping trip and realize there’s not a single Euro in your purse?
That’s when you’ll want a taste of home.
My advice is to go to Starbucks.
There’s something heartwarming about American portions and the smell of coffee in a foreign country. And the influx of accents will grace your ears like a song from heaven.
They won’t just give you your weekly fix of caffeine.
They’ll give you your weekly fix of home.
And that’s enough.
This One is My Favorite… and it Sneaks Up on You
It is that you are braver than you know.
It’s easier than many think to go abroad. The locals are welcoming. The travel is straightforward.
What’s hard is leaving home. What’s hard is embracing the unfamiliar.
There’s something about that 3-day point when you look around and realize anyone can go.
You wonder what made you so different. Different enough to give it a shot.
The answer is that you are brave.
Thanks for Reading!
These were 5 of my favorite realizations from traveling! Some were simple, some felt profound. All of them were blessings!
Do you have any to add? Let me know in the comments.
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