When you start to wrap your head around all of the things that could possibly go wrong in any given travel situation, it’s easy to become paralyzed with fear. Your plane could crash. Your cab driver might not stop. You could fall into the freezing water. You may be assaulted. You could get lost. You might sprain your ankle. You could be lonely. You might get malaria. And, the list goes on and on. If you’re looking for a reason not to travel, I guarantee you’ll find one every time.
Appreciate your fear, as it helps you identify potential dangers. Be realistic, and acknowledge the rationale behind your fear. You may find that some of these risks are no greater than the risk you take on when eating a sandwich or driving into work every day. If you’re about to enter an unknown situation with new potential dangers, do your homework before taking the trip. Take proactive measures to help ensure your safety and maintain situational awareness. At some point, you have to make a call. Some travelers choose to throw caution to the wind whereas others remain circumspect in their decisions.
Assess Your Risk
If you want to travel, you must take a calculated risk. If you want to be an adventure traveler, the risk is even greater. When I sea kayaked in the glacial waters of Alaska’s Aialik Bay, I balanced my risk by bringing along a local guide, knowledge on paddling technique, bear spray, proper attire, and emergency rations. While trekking with mountain gorillas in Rwanda, I balanced my risk through regional research, safety training, an accompanying safari guide, armed guards, proper attire, many vaccinations, and an abundance of mosquito spray. Did I eliminate the risk in either of these cases? No, both of these situations were still a bit scary. Did I reach a point where the balanced risk was worth the reward for me? Absolutely. In both of these cases, I opted for adventure. I proceeded with caution, balanced my risk and maintained situational awareness.
You alone must decide what level of risk you are willing to take on in order to experience the joy of exploration. If you’re having trouble wrapping your mind around the risk, take a look at the opportunity before you. Consider the following questions:
- Where do I want to go, and what do I want to do?
- What will I gain from this adventure?
- How will I benefit from these experiences, and who else may benefit?
- What are the biggest risks involved in the proposed itinerary?
- How can I best balance these risks?
Bring Your Adventure To Life
Once you’ve considered these questions, take active next steps to try to bring your adventure to life. Read travel sources, such as Lonely Planet, for more information about the region you seek to visit. Browse for blog articles from people who have taken on the same adventure, and imagine yourself walking a mile in their shoes. As you read these posts, keep your eye out for ways the traveler mitigated risks.
Whatever you do, be sure you don’t let your own fear and anxiety keep you from living. If you’ve always wanted to travel, it’s time to get real about why you haven’t done it yet. Around the world, hosts open up their homes to travelers with the help of Airbnb.com and Couchsurfing.com. If you’re willing to travel to your destination off-season, you can score even deeper discounts on airfare, accommodations, rentals and entertainment.
For those of you who know that, in your heart of hearts, the real reason you aren’t traveling is because you’re scared to step out of your comfort zone–please know that you are not alone. I’ve been there myself. Travel, especially solo travel, will push you and your comfort zone. Yes, it is scary. It is also completely worth it. You’re lucky enough to be alive, right now, at a time where world travel is actually feasible. And so, I implore you to get out there.
