No, Traveling Does Not Solve All Problems! (1/2)

It's well known that travel is full of benefits: it shapes youth, has positive effects on relationships, and has a clear link to personal development. Some travelers even seem to create a list of goals to achieve through travel:

While all these goals are undoubtedly achievable (at least on their own), accomplishing them is not straightforward! Because no, traveling does not solve all problems...

Going on a trip sometimes serves as a good resolution.

However, like New Year's resolutions, which always start from a good intention, these promises rarely move from theory to practice.

Why?

The reasons can be numerous (and cumulative!). Just as moving from December 31 to January 1 does not fundamentally change our lives, going on a trip alone is not enough to fulfill all the good resolutions in the world!

Yet, yes, travel and personal development can go hand in hand. Travel (especially independent travel for an extended period) naturally leads the traveler to question themselves. To change their perspective regarding personal problems. To put things in perspective and re-evaluate their priorities.

While some changes can be seen as objectives > (identifiable, quantifiable), which can be anticipated before departure; others (the majority?) on the contrary, surprise and affect the traveler in a very personal, completely subjective way, at the limit of naming.

For travel to rhyme with development (both for objective and subjective changes), two ingredients are necessary.

For objective changes, willpower and organization are the key concepts here. The traveler must set a concrete goal (as objective and measurable as possible), with intermediate steps.

Like a marathon, the goal to be achieved is a long-distance run. Therefore, to succeed, it's better to divide the journey into clear intermediate steps (sub-goals), outlining the path to take to get from one sub-goal to the next.

For example, if someone wants to lose weight, rather than wanting to lose 22 pounds at once, they would spread the weight loss over time, aiming for, say, a loss of 2 pounds per week.

For personal development, even if it seems less concrete than weight loss, the same principle applies. Wanting > is a broad and vague goal. It's up to the traveler to clarify it: concretely, what does that mean for them?

Engaging more with others? Daring to express their thoughts directly? Starting an activity that scares them?...

Depending on this personal definition of self-confidence, they will be able to develop intermediate milestones. For example, speaking to a stranger once a day, even if just to ask for the time or directions. One should not hesitate to start small, to feel comfortable at each stage of this marathon.

For this type of change, it is also unnecessary to tackle all problems head-on. For instance, a traveler deciding to quit smoking wouldn't be in the best mindset to simultaneously do personal work AND lose weight AND etc.

It is therefore more productive to limit objectives, so they do not obstruct each other, and, most importantly, to avoid discouragement.

For subjective changes, the secret ingredient is primarily a question of state of mind. The traveler must be able to accept feeling destabilized or surprised. Having a mindset that shows a beautiful openness to the world... and to oneself. This is perhaps the hardest part!

Accepting to let go, not to control everything.

This can manifest in a thousand and one ways: accepting to not >, making mistakes, not foreseeing and organizing every little detail... Making room for the unknown.

One of the great misfortunes of modern life is the lack of the unexpected, the absence of adventures. (Théophile Gautier)

Here too, this can be worked on, first starting with more concrete sub-goals. For example, letting go of the travel guide for a day, choosing where to eat by oneself, randomly wandering through the streets.

This state of mind can thus manifest through concrete actions which, gradually, will lead to a different mentality.

Another way of being in the world.

This openness and peace of mind will then allow the traveler to listen to themselves more deeply.

By being more in tune with themselves, the traveler will be open to >: personal changes they hadn't anticipated. Ones they may not have even considered. They may not be able, upon their return, to articulate exactly what has changed in them. But they will no longer feel quite the same, happy about this transformation.

In the second part of this article, I will detail 5 common objectives that travelers aim for, as well as ideas on how to achieve them and avoid pitfalls.

Traveling allows for growth, development, unlocking certain fears, understanding some chapters of one's history, and accepting aspects of one's personality... But this work does not come easily. It requires, in some cases, great willpower. In others, a certain mental attitude. And, most often, a clever mix of both. Plus, time. A lot of time.

But, above all, this development is not limited to travel: it is the path of a lifetime! The process of personal development, while it may seem to accelerate on the roads, should not be put into neutral once back to sedentary life.

A beautiful and long road awaits us to become the person we wish to be...

And you, do you have any personal experiences or advice to share? Any points you would like to see addressed in the second part of this article? Feel free to share them in the comments!

Photo credit: Kenny Louie