Traveling has taught me so much.
I once went on holiday in Zanzibar. During my stay, I joined a Blue Safari – a combination of beach bumming and snorkeling in the open ocean (followed by a calm lagoon). There I learnt to love my body. I saw women in bikinis and burkinis. I saw people who were fully clothed, jump into the water. Everyone dressed to their level of comfort. But without exception, they all had fun. After that trip, I resolved to be myself and to change the heels in my wardrobe to flats, going forward. (I also resolved to use two-piece swimming costumes, so I could pee more easily, but that’s an aside:) .)
I am intrigued by the vocabulary of food when I travel. I learnt very quickly to distinguish between sunny side up and over easy or hard, if I wanted eggs for breakfast. I also learnt to specify whether I wanted my steak rare, medium or well done. I learnt that chilli is not spicy.
Traveling has brought so many movies and books to life, and reminded me that I need to step out of my comfort zone to make my dreams come true. I found that kindness and Southern charm really exist in America, for instance. The children go out of their way to say hello. People hold open doors and wait until everyone is served before eating. People also seem genuinely surprised when you offer them things for free and they almost always say no. They insist on paying their own way.
To truly live free, I have discovered that you must arrive at your “damn the world” moment. There comes a time when you look family, spouse, boss, fans, church, health, life or nation in the eye and say, “NO”. In your heart you add, “Do your worst”. That’s the day you become an independent being and free spirit.
You come to the realization, that you can explore your world with little thought for what people would say or think. Your Instagram posts then become a microcosm of the fullness of the life that you witness and experience every day.
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[bctt tweet=”To truly live free, you must arrive at your “damn the world” moment.” username=”subomiplumptre”]