Travel Tip Tuesday: Fear Not the Unknown

Why hello there! Greetings and welcome back to This Darling Adventure! It is good for you to be here today! Well friends, today I was reminded of the beautiful opportunity we each have in the midst of our circumstances to choose joy. To be completely honest and open, the last week or so has not been the easiest for me. There have been moments when I have been completely in over my head and frustrated. However, I woke up this morning with a song in my heart and this desire to choose joy in the midst of it all. And can I just say… What a difference it made to approach the day with joy as my focus rather than my frustrations! So today, I challenge you as well to choose joy in whatever comes your way. No it will not be easy and it doesn’t make those frustrating situations vanish into thin air, but it will certainly make them seem smaller and more manageable.

That being said, today is yet another Travel Tip Tuesday, which means that we also have the opportunity to chat about little nuggets of wisdom found in gallivanting around the world. So, in thinking about what exactly to talk about for this opportune occasion, I thought it would be cool to take a look at one of the most impactful lessons I’ve learned over the years (and am continuing to learn even today): fearing not the unknown.

Now, when you think about traveling what comes to your mind? The thrill? The excitement? The stress? The planning? The adventure? For me it is a combination of all these things (and more). But thinking about traveling also makes me consider the unknown possibilities of being in an unfamiliar place.

What if….

It will be awesome, but….

The if’s and but’s of traveling are unknowns. They can be quite intimidating to think about. More often than not, our minds take them and run in ridiculous directions tossing around the worst possible scenarios as suddenly the most likely things to happen. But should we let those things hold us back from adventuring in the unknown? I do not believe so.

I came to this conclusion when traveling in Israel last year. Andy and I were backpacking for about a month throughout the country and there were many times when I simply feared the unknown. I let my imagination run wild and probably would have missed out on some beautiful opportunities if it weren’t for my husband who graciously reeled me back to reality. Sure, some of those things I imagined had their roots in reality, but at the end of the day, it was mostly in my head and a product of my own fear of the unknown.

So how can we be people who are unafraid (or at least less afraid) of the unknown? Two things. Firstly, we must be able to accept the fact that there will be unknowns. Part of the beauty in traveling is that we don’t know and we get to learn. So why not embrace that fact and let it empower us to be good students in the world? Secondly, we must be learn to ask questions. One of the best ways to turn unknowing into knowing is by seeking out the answer to our own doubts and questions. By asking questions, we can set out on the right track towards familiarizing ourselves with the unknown and debunking some of the fears we may already have.

So, the next time you are standing face to face with the unknown, do not run away and hide. Rather, buck up and stand tall. Fear not the unknown.

Have you feared the unknown when traveling? What did you do about it? As always, please feel completely at home to comment below! 🙂