I caught the travel bug on my first trip abroad when I was 5.

That inspired me to negotiate as many trips as I could with my parents.

I’d write letters with clearly stated arguments why they should let me on a trip, submitting signed copies to my dad.

Obviously, as a kid and teenager, I traveled with other people.

Then in my early twenties, when was an exchange student in Spain, I had a month to travel after my studies but no one to do it with.

Back then I was afraid to travel alone.

I thought I’d feel lonely and it wouldn’t be fun.

I also felt shame imagining what other people would think seeing me eating alone in a restaurant or watching the sunset by myself.

I shared my fears with a friend, who was making trips alone while her husband was studying there.

She thought traveling alone was amazing because you could follow your own dreams and desires, without having to adjust them or compromise to fit another person’s ideas.

And that you could also talk and connect with other people if you wanted company or be alone when you preferred.

I borrowed her beliefs and mustered the courage to embark on a solo journey around Spain.

“Better alone than with a bad company,” – said an elderly gentleman, sitting next to me on the first bus ride.

Overcoming the fear of traveling alone lead me to many amazing trips and experiences, including going to Egypt, walking a part of Camino de Santiago, spending nine months traveling in Asia, hiking in the Himalayas… Meeting so many wonderful people along the way.

Also, experiences when I wanted to do something and had no one to join me, as simple as going on a hike or for a beach walk

If I let the fear of going places alone win, I’d have prevented myself from having the experiences I truly desired.

Of course, I’ve had some other fears that I did let stop me, like not starting a travel blog because I was afraid my writing wasn’t perfect.

☑️ What are you afraid of and is that fear stopping you from what you truly want?
“I really want to … but I’m afraid ….”
Will you let the fear stop you or choose to act despite the fear?

So often fear can show us the way to what we desire the most.