Crossing the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in my life turned out to be the most empowering thing I have ever done, both as a human being and as a woman.
Traveling has helped me build a stronger foundation of confidence and self-assuredness. A foundation I can fall back on when I feel tempted to believe those little germs of self-doubt, of worry, of fear.
While I certainly had plenty of help throughout the six weeks from friends and family members, I spent a lot of time alone in England. So if I got lost or confused, I had to either figure it out on my own or approach a complete stranger and ask for help! This dilemma, though sometimes inconvenient, forced me to interact with others and to assert myself. Eventually I learned to just do what had to be done rather than waste time moaning about it.
I also learned to be content spending quality time alone. Sometimes I had a companion and sometimes I didn't. I wasn't going to just sit at home each night because I had no one to go out with! Instead, I went out and enjoyed myself without worrying what others might think. I went to malls, museums, parks, restaurants, plays—all alone. Eventually I got over the awkwardness, learning to relish those moments to myself, learning to appreciate solitude and quiet reflection.
On the flip side, I encountered so many cool people! And I did have moments when I really thought I'd die if I had to try and carry on a coherent conversation with yet another stranger, but overwhelmingly people were totally kind and helpful and interesting. I feel less hesitation now to interact, less anxiety over what others think about me based on what I say and do. Of course we have to be careful when traveling alone, especially as women (we shouldn't have to worry more than men do, but that's the reality). Yet let us not forget that our Heavenly Parents populated this earth with a variety of amazing spirits. These people all have different backgrounds and different lifestyles and different beliefs, but my impression from the traveling that I've done is that people are generally just good. Most of us are just trying to be decent human beings, even if that's achieved in different ways.
I know how lucky I am to have had this opportunity. I had lots of financial help from lots of sources, and not everyone can receive the same assistance that I did. But there are ways you can make traveling happen for yourself, even if you go somewhere a hundred miles from home as opposed to a few thousand.
I challenge you all to branch out and travel somewhere new whenever possible. In exploring other parts of the country or the world, you will develop your own abilities to do cool things like navigate and communicate. You will learn to savor solitude and to relish interaction. You will encounter more of God's children in their own environment. ADSENSE HERE