Check out this beyond stunning video of time lapses taken throughout a photographer's trip to Europe. You'll see natural beauty like stars, the Northern Lights, and beaches as well as the incredible man made monuments like the Colosseum and the Eiffel Tower. Warning: you're going to have major wanderlust after watching this video.
It’s Okay To Feel Overwhelmed Before You Travel Abroad – Just Don’t Give in to the Nerves
I started crying in the Sea-Tac airport when I sat down at the gate designated for Frankfurt. I was overwhelmed, nervous, and afraid of the unknown. It was about to be my first time out of the United States. The destination was Florence, Italy, the location of my study abroad program and where I would be staying for the next six weeks. The round trip flight to Italy (through Germany) was booked, and weekend trips to the Amalfi Coast and London were already on the schedule.
My excitement for the past twelve months leading up to this moment was replaced by fear. People were buzzing around me, most of them speaking German. I tried masking my tears by looking down and hiding my face. I called my parents, hoping that hearing their voices would ease my nerves, and while they assured me that I would be fine, my nerves were still very much present. There was no turning back. And I didn’t want to go back. I wanted to go to Italy. But boy, was I scared. Little did I know, I was about to experience a very happy culture shock the second I stepped on the ground in Italy. Once I got there, I was instantly amazed by its beauty and was excited to spend the next six weeks with the other students in the program.
The second time I went to Europe was to work for a travel company after I graduated college. This time, instead of a six-week study abroad program, I was planning on working and living in an apartment in Italy for a little less than a year. I had not yet met any of the staff I was about to work/live with, and it had been two years since my last time abroad. My parents walked me to the security area at Sea-Tac when my nerves started to kick in again. What if this isn’t the right decision? I thought, though I knew those were the fears talking. I had wanted to travel so badly, and I wasn’t about to let go of my dream job just because I was feeling overwhelmed at the moment. I took off my jacket and shoes and set my carry-on on the conveyor belt, waving at my parents as I walked through the metal detector. Once I got through, security decided to go through my bag and take a look at my liquids. I was holding back tears as my dad shouted, “Bye, Ally! We love you!” and they walked away.
Then the security guy told me that even though my liquids were all under the 3.5 ounce limit, I had more than a quart of liquid, the total allotted amount for carry-ons. Puzzled by this rule I had never heard before, the man told me I needed to get rid of some of it and had already started separating a few things he suggested I “throw away,” including my favorite Michael Kors perfume. Immediately I called my parents, thinking for some bazaar reason they could take some of my liquids home with them (this was the nerves speaking) – even though I didn’t need them to actually come back to airport and pick up a travel sized shampoo bottle and four bottles of nail polish only to give it back to me when I would return months later.
When my mom answered, the tears I was fighting spilled onto my face as I choked out, “They – they want me to get rid of my Michael Kors perfume!” Realizing how ridiculous this sounded for a 21-year-old to burst into tears over a bottle of perfume, I wasn’t surprised that the security guy cautiously looked at me with wide eyes and took a step back.
“Can – can you guys come take some of my stuff so I don’t have to throw it away? I feel like I’m wasting money just getting rid of it,” I sputtered. Again, I realized how ridiculous this sounded, since I could simply keep the perfume and easily live without the $3 shampoo bottle and $2 nail polishes. My parents told me to throw away the unnecessary stuff, just like I knew they would. They reassured me that I would be okay and to call them when I landed in Amsterdam for my layover.
“I’m sorry, I’m just a little nervous,” I told the security guy. “You see, I haven’t been to Europe in over two years and I’m moving there for a little while so I’m kind of nervous but excited but it’s just a little scary, you know?” I continued to babble on even though the security guy could care less, but I was embarrassed for tearing up and wanted to prevent another episode from occurring.
Once I got the liquid situation sorted out, I made it to my gate sans-tears but still filled with nerves. From there, I got on the plane – there’s no turning back – watched a few in-flight movies, and safely made it to Europe just hours later.
Originally, I wouldn’t have thought that my second trip to Europe would elicit a similar overwhelming sense of nerves as the first time. Still, however, it did. Sometimes, the sense of the unknown and fears can take over right when you’re about to make the travel leap. This is okay – but remember – you have to push past it. Remember the reason why you wanted to travel in the first place. Write in on your hand as a reminder before you leave if you need to. Push past that fear, get on the plane, and do your best to relax.
However many hours later when you land in your destination, those overwhelming nerves will be replaced by overwhelming excitement and happiness. How do I know this? Because both times I went abroad, I cried on the day I left because I was scared of all the unknowns. And both times I returned from abroad, I cried because of how sentimental it was to leave the new friends, places, and memories.
So, is it worth it? Yes. That is a big, capital Y-E-S! YES, it is going to be worth it. You can do it. There’s a reason behind the saying “life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
10 Reasons Why You Should Travel After College
There is a lot of pressure put on college graduates to get jobs right out of school. Whether it’s coming from family, friends, professors, the media, or yourself, the stress of landing a 9-5 by graduation day can be substantial. That’s what you’re supposed to do, right? Go to college, get a job, and then life will work out. For some people, that’s fine and that’s okay. But for you, there is that voice in the back of your head that won’t let the idea of traveling after college go away. There are so many ways to go abroad after college, though fear and excuses often get in the way of those travel dreams. Since almost everyone will tell you all the reasons why you shouldn’t travel after college, I’m here to give you ten reasons on why you should.
1. Because you have the time.
You don’t need to jump into the corporate grind first thing Monday morning after graduation. You have the rest of your life to work. Taking some time off to go abroad, have new experiences, and maybe even find yourself is worth it. There will still be jobs to apply for when you get back.
2. Because you aren't tied down.
When else will you not be tied down to anything? When you get a full-time, entry-level job that gives you maybe two weeks of unpaid vacation per year? When you have an apartment lease and bills to pay? When you get married and start a family? Nothing is wrong with any of that, but if you want to travel, it is much easier to travel now, when you aren’t tied down to anything.
3. Because it makes you more marketable when you apply to jobs in the future.
Study abroad or travel boosts your resume and often makes you a more qualified candidate compared to those without international experience. When you’re back on your turf you’ll be able to apply all the things you learned abroad to your future job interviews.
4. Because you learn much more by seeing, exploring, and experiencing a foreign place than reading about it or looking at pictures.
When captioning photos of my travels, I always think, “This picture does not do it justice.” There is nothing more liberating than actually being somewhere in person. The feeling of jumping off a boat into the Adriatic Sea, with the rush of adrenaline and chills going up your spine as you hit the gorgeous, crystal clear water is 100 times better than simply looking at a photo of the turquoise ocean surrounding the islands of Croatia.
5. Because you're young and your body is able to handle pretty much anything.
Your body is likely more capable of handling jet lag, outdoor activities, late nights partying, etc. now than it will be when you’re older.
6. Because you can still take advantage of discounts when you’re young.
Most students and young travelers (usually under 26) are eligible to receive discounts. Whether it be airfare, transportation, lodging, or other fees associated with travel, take advantage of your young age to score some major deals.
7. Because there are plenty of options to travel after college, and they don't have to be expensive.
On that note, budget travel makes going abroad more feasible than you think. You won’t mind staying in a $12/night hostel in Istanbul now while you’re young, but you probably will when you’re older. There are hostels and websites such as Couchsurfing and Airbnb to save you some cash on accommodations. If vacationing or backpacking still seem to stretch your budget too far, then get a job overseas: you can be a tour guide, intern, Peace Corps volunteer, English teacher, au pair, the list goes on. And you don’t have to go to Western Europe, Japan, or Australia, which tend to be more expensive. Try Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, or Central America. There are so many places in the world to see, and not all of them will cost you an arm and a leg to see them.
8. Because it opens you up to a whole new view on life.
When you travel somewhere new, you become much more understanding of the world by experiencing new cultures firsthand. The skills you will strengthen while traveling will carry on with the rest of your life. You will feel and become more independent.
9. Because it makes you happy.
There is a reason behind the saying, “Travel is the only thing you buy, that makes you richer.” People tend to be happier in the long run by spending money on experiences like travel instead of material items.
10. Because if not now, when?
If you make excuses or wait for the “right time,” the right time will never come. The time is now. Start planning your trip and make it happen. What are you waiting for?