Barcelona to Croatia

As I was sitting in a window seat of an aeroplane overlooking the dusky pink horizon and munching on a soggy muffin and a pitiful amount of olives which had pained me to buy from the Vueling, I couldn’t help but notice a strange feeling. I thought I ought to be excited to be travelling to Croatia, a country where I’ve never visited before, but instead dejection set in and then subsequently, guilt for feeling that way. I’m not sure whether it was due to the lack of sleep or the come down from the previous month of partying. Maybe it was also partially attributed to the fact that my year in Barcelona is coming to an end next week, and everyone is leaving to resume their lives in their own hometowns. 
I remembered not to make the mistake of focusing on the sadness which would inevitably elevate it, but instead, thought of all the things which I’m grateful for in my life. The fact that I’m currently flying to another city, I can learn about yet another culture, I completed a one year internship abroad, and met so many amazing people and shared experiences I’ll never forget, and I will continue my travels through South East Asia in July.
When I was thinking about the excessive amount that I travel, I realised that when I tell people of my plans to travel through South East Asia solo, the majority of responses are the same: “you’re so brave”. That’s not a complete lie, but it’s also not entirely the truth. It’s not that I’m brave, I just realise my own capability. I know people who wouldn’t even go to the beach by themselves, let alone go to another country alone. Why? We’ve been conditoned our entire lives to believe that we need to depend on others, that other peoples opinions about us matter and that it’s okay to let others have control over our lives and dictate our actions. This is an irrational belief system which we created, and it’s entirely possible to overcome it, but only if one wants to. Don’t get me wrong, I adore travelling with friends, but travelling solo allows you to grow in a way that isn’t sheltered. We need to realise that we’re a lot more capable and powerful than we think. Once we truly listen to ourselves, everything aligns and we become the creator of our own reality.