I leave for Nicaragua in three days to lead a Yoga Retreat. In light of this, people have been asking me, “Are you excited??”
It’s a good-natured question. But to be honest, I don’t get super excited before I travel.
Jelayna what is wrong with you?? Why are you not floating on cloud nine and buzzing with all the good feels? You’re about to travel to a new country, discover new things, meet new people!!
This is usually when the #gratitude #soblessed #mylifeisbetterthanyours social media posts should be flooding my news feed right?
Wrong.
All of the above reasons for excitement are true. Rest assured, I feel a deep amount of gratitude and joy about this undeniably special occasion. However, this is also my truth:
I learned back in my twenties not to project strong emotions onto a travel experience.
(Also, humble-bragging about traveling on Facebook is rather annoying.)
Below are a few reasons why I’ve chosen a chilled out approach to travel.
1) What actually exists, is usually different from what we expect
If we hold high expectations, or hard set, unchanging expectations for an experience, not only do we run the risk of disappointment, we also miss what is right in front of us. We end up robbing ourselves of seeing what a place and people have to offer by projecting preconceived notions or strong feelings onto the scenario
I spent several years working for a non-profit organization that sent people abroad to work in sustainable community initiatives. My job was to recruit for the programs. Quite a bit of my time was spent telling volunteers what to expect.
I would tell them expect to be surprised, to be pleasantly caught off guard, sometimes disturbed or even rattled. You can expect to have your mind expanded, your boundaries pushed and your concept of self challenged. Definitely expect newness.
However, at the end of the day – try not to expect. Don’t waste time and energy attempting to brace yourself for the unknown. Instead, show up with an open mind, an open heart and receive what this place, these people and this culture has to offer you. And I promise you – it will be beautiful.
2) Travel brings up strong emotions
Emotionally, travel can be all over the map (horrible pun intended). One minute we are on top of the world, looking at an amazing view, or experiencing something for the first time in our lives. The next minute you could be dealing with travelers diarrhea or careening down a mountain side on a dirt country road with a driver named Rico who barely speaks English, hoping to God you survive.
I’d rather leave space to experience the myriad of emotions that arise in situations like this, than carry the baggage of expectations and excitement with me into these crazy, yet vibrant adventures.
3) Keeping a calm mind while traveling keeps you safe
On top of crazy emotional reactions, trips can easily turn into crazy experiences. Passports get lost, plans don’t work out, illnesses happen and people make mistakes. If you’re already in a calm state of mind, rather than super excited mode, you stand a better chance of dealing with these things from a practical stand point.
I remember when I was in South Africa, a group of friends and I decided to hike up Lion’s Head Mountain in Cape Town. On our journey up, we saw a young man slip and fall. We held our breath as we watched his body bounce down the rocky mountainside. Thankfully, his decent was stopped by a stony ledge. If he had not landed on this random bit of rock jutting off the side of the mountain, we would have witnessed someone die before our eyes.
I can still feel the strong emotions that flood my body in that moment like it were yesterday. This is just one of many travel stories that left my insides buzzing with big feelings.
It’s intense experiences like this that have taught me to “keep calm and travel on” rather than “let’s panic and freak out”.
For this wonderful Yoga Retreat, I’ve decided to pack gratitude and awareness in my emotional suitcase. Not only do they weigh next to nothing, they fold up quite well and fit snuggly in the corners of my heart. I don’t need to pack excitement, anxiousness, or even loads of happiness because I know those things will be waiting for me when I arrive.
So to answer your question – No, I am not excited – I am aware, I am awake and I am ready for an adventure…..come what may……
