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You’re reading Destroy the Comfort Zone: Insights From an Adventure of a Lifetime, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
We delay making important choices when we’re on the edge of uncertainty. Whether it’s a last-minute trip, a move abroad, or a new job. Those who stand on the edge of that uncertain cliff, and take that leap of faith, are those whose lives are brimming with happiness.
They are staying true to their hearts, despite what they hear at the back of their minds.
There will always be doubts, but if it feels right, then we have to go for it — whatever it is. We don’t know what to expect when we visit a new country or take on a new opportunity. A few online searches don’t suffice — we don’t always find the longing of comfort we’re looking for.
Still, we have to take that leap.
After days of procrastination, I booked a flight for a twelve day trip to Bali. My itinerary was simple. Four peaceful days in Sanur, and eight exciting days with the TATWT 8 Days Bali Tour — hopping between Kuta, Ubud, and the Gili T Island.
This is my story of my time there.
The Beginning of my Adventure
After sunrise and barely any sleep, I made my way out of the hotel with nothing on me, excited and curious about exploring Bali. The moment I walked out, I felt alert and out of place. As I milled through the town, masseurs would try to invite me into their parlours. People offered me travel guides and activity brochures. Motorcycles whizzed past me, taxis wouldn’t stop beeping.
The energy here was different. People’s expressions were unlike those at home in London. The vibe was something like I’d never experienced — and I felt like a new person the moment I walked into it all. I was untethered from everything. Layers of my past and future disappeared into an abyss.
That felt so freeing.
To make the best use of my time here, I planned a range of activities on-the-go. The most notable experiences I had included Jet-skiing, Parasailing, visiting a Butterfly Park, and Quad-biking.
Besides that, I enjoyed reading, writing, and mingling with the locals. I’d be talking to strangers like I’d known them for ages, and that was so refreshing to experience. To sum things up, every day I was in Sanur, felt like a gift. I made the most of my days, alone on the other side of the planet, far from home.
When my time in the town approached its end, I knew there was, even more, to look forward to. After four days in Sanur, I arrived in Kuta to begin an eight-day Travel to Bali adventure tour. There I would meet twenty people I’d be sharing an experience with.
Travel to Bali Adventure Tour
When I reached Kuta, it was clear that it was the opposite of Sanur. Here there was an overflow of people and traffic. Everyone from the group tour met up at the accommodation that night, and from there we had a welcome dinner at the nearby restaurant. Slowly, we started to build the foundation for our adventure together.
The bunch of us all clicked. There were travellers from Brazil, France, Australia, England, Ireland, America, Norway, and India — so it was definitely a varied group. Even though we only spent seven days together, we got to know each pretty well. It was fun sharing stories, jokes, and picking up so much from everyone. The tour kept getting better and better, ending spectacularly on the Gili T Island. The level of positivity that I experienced was extraordinary.
How Travelling Improved my Perspective
One of the most important truths I learned was that you can learn something from everyone. With a lot of the conversations we had, I definitely felt like I gained new perspectives and gems of wisdom.
Everyone had something unique to share, and it wasn’t always beamed through with what they said. Sometimes, it was just through their attitude.
While no one may be perfect, there’s an inner-world to everyone, brimming with wonder. Sometimes there are so many layers, both in ourselves and in others, that it can be quite difficult to connect with new people. But I think as a group, many of us did.
The nature of our surroundings opened us up. In a city, people can be a little tenser and suspicious, which can be a contagious mentality. Here, happiness was everywhere. The people in Bali are some of the joyful people in the world.
We rode that same wave of happiness during our time there. An epiphany I had after returning was that we divert so much of our attention on the little stuff. We forget that: there are opportunities waiting for us, that have the potential to enrich us in ways we can’t see.
Realizations and Lessons
There was one day, where the heatwave hit me like a hammer to my head, and dropped me out for a full 24 hours. That made me realize that no matter where you are in the world, health comes before anything.
However trite that might sound, it was enlightening to experience. Other than that, most of the time, I was feeling grateful. Glad. Happy.
When we see the same people, speak to the same faces, follow a regular schedule — our reality can gradually become blander — unless we make a consistent effort to break out of our comfort zone.
But many of us don’t. Simply because we’re too attached to our way of living. That’s why breaking your routine every so often is vital. It breaks the cycle of monotony and you come back feeling restored, having learnt more about yourself and the world.
Take the Leap
Life is most certainly about new experiences, sharing, and learning. But it’s also about creating a life you don’t want to take a holiday from. We can travel wherever we want.
But I’ve realized that it should never be done to escape.
Otherwise, when you come back home, the holiday-blues will eventually start kicking in. Ideally, you want to be just as happy as you are at home, compared to when you’re on holiday. I hope, over time, that I will be.
Life is a slow journey, and the things that are meant to happen will take time and work.
While the adventure is over now, the experience has most certainly opened my eyes to travelling more often. To taking “leaps” as often as I can even in day to day life. If you go to Bali with the right frame of mind, you will have an experience worth treasuring. I hope this peace epitomized the essence of taking that leap of faith to travel somewhere new — and being open to discovering what awaits.
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You’ve read Destroy the Comfort Zone: Insights From an Adventure of a Lifetime, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.