A Long Awaited Trip

My heart has always been a traveler. A friend of mine once told me I was probably born in a suitcase. That was not the case, but I was raised by wonderful parents who always encouraged me to expand my horizons and I have always been fortunate enough to be able to do so. I work hard for it. And I love it.

Of course every trip is different. Now I am just realizing that   certain kind of trips make you really comfortable and you kind of forget how it feels to be uncomfortable.

Let me explain. Last time I went somewhere far and completely alien to me was almost 10 years ago. Back then I had the opportunity to travel to places often and far away, completely unknown. The last trip was to Egypt and I went with my cousin on a tour. I remember being happy and excited, but not anxious. The fact that it was a tour made things a lot easier. It was an extraordinary trip. I had lots of fun and loved everything I saw and learned.

After that, all of my trips have have been in the USA and Mexico. Don't get me wrong, I've seen the most wonderful places and you learn something about yourself with every trip. But I knew the drill. I speak the languages. I felt pretty comfortable finding my way around. 

Until yesterday, right before boarding my flight to Reykjavik, I hadn't realized how much I needed to get out of my comfort zone. It's been a long time. I am a different person now and age does affect the way I feel about it. I am now an adult with responsibilities. And I am a freelancer. So going to far away places for a long time has a different effect now. 

I felt nervous the two weeks leading to the trip. I was stressing about things like packing and making sure I took care of everything I needed to before leaving. It wasn't until I was at the airport that I thought "I'm ok. I feel good about this." 

I am now at Reykjavik's airport waiting for my friend to start our four-day adventure in Iceland. And I can now say that I loved listening to a completely strange language, walking through a whole new airport and breathing this wonderful air.