How 6 Nights of Travel Changed My Life

I'm shy. Some people will be surprised by that. Some won't believe it. But it's true. I've always hated talking to strangers. Public speaking makes me want to puke and the idea of talking to someone on the phone gives me anxiety. 

Then there's the other side of me. The one that is totally nuts, hyper, outgoing, slightly crazy. My long time friends know that side very well.

So what causes both? It all comes down to my comfort level. Small groups and people I know, text messaging, you get the unshy hyper version.

Large groups, parties, phone calls, new people you get the quiet observer who is freaked. 

I've come a long way but I still had a long way to go until my 6 days of travel. Now I still have some growing to do but I can actually feel and see the change. 

How did 6 days change my life? Have you ever traveled 100% alone? I'm sure it will change your life too!

When I booked my trip it was out of pure frustration that everyone in my volunteer group was poor and wouldn't travel. I refused to miss out on some of the most beautiful parts of Fiji because the others didn't want to and couldn't go. So I booked it. Only when I dropped off my friends at the animal shelter and was in the city alone did I realize what that meant. I. Was. Alone. There was no one I knew, no one to go to for help, no one to talk with, no one to sit by on the bus. It was me, myself, and I. What happened? I. Panicked. I was nervous and sweaty! I was awkward and afraid. But isn't that how we grow? I said a prayer and got on that bus. Go ahead and refer to the mini bus entry for that experience. Anyway in the beginning it sucked! I hated every second. But all it took was for one stranger to change it all. One stranger to set in motion six days that would forever change my life. He has no idea what an impact he's had on my life and he did it all simply by laughing at me. For reals.

He laughed when I couldn't get into the hammock and then introduced himself to me and a group he had just met. 

That's it. That's all it took. I went and sat with them, struck up conversation, asked questions, shared my story, listened to their story and had an amazing night. 

The next morning we went our separate ways. I talked to a lady on the bus. Let's hear that again: I talked to a lady on the bus. Me. 

Then I  talked with a woman on the boat. The next days I met people from all over the world. Every island a new group of friends. Everyday a new person met. I traveled with these strangers, borrowed products, shared things, swapped travel stories but most importantly I grew in ways that 28 years in America never offered me. Was it terrifying? Yes. Was I uncomfortable? Yes! But I changed.  One of my Fiji friends posted a quote on Facebook last week. "There are no such things as strangers. Just friends we have yet to meet" 

Powerful. 

Who will you meet this week? How will you grow? Step outside your comfort zone. Take a chance and see what happens.