I was lucky that my parents worked hard every year to take us on nice holidays every summer. I still remember the feeling of waking up really early in the morning, because we had to travel a long road to our destination, always by car. That's maybe why I have now this love for being on the road and this taste for travelling.
I've always wanted to travel and see the world, it has always been on my dream´s list . I couldn't imagine living my life without travelling. It's only my opinion and obviously it does not have the same meaning for everyone, but these are the reasons why I started travelling - especially alone.
As I said, I've been travelling a few times with my parents and we've been all around France and abroad to Denmark, Portugal,Germany,Sweden. After turning 18 and getting my highschool diploma (hell yeah finally!), I decided to go to Dublin with a friend where we stayed 2 weeks. This first experience of travelling without my family, by my own was really interesting. I waited a year and a half to go abroad again and this time I left France for one year to work as an Au pair in Netherlands. It was a great and rich experience for 20 years old self; as I learned to live far from my relatives, far from my habits and started developping new ones. Above all, I learned how to meet people and make new connections which made me enjoy my times there so much. In one year, I visited more places in Netherlands than my own country.
After this year, I knew I would need to travel more.
To me, travelling gives you the opportunity to open your mind to people, other cultures, but it also makes you open your mind on your own life. As I like writing, when I travel I write almost everyday in notebooks about what I see, who I meet etc. But also about how I feel, how I experience this trip.
All my trips, from the shortest to the longest, are all amazing memories. I met so many people, I had so many surprising moments. Everything you live during your journey is intense because it's ephemeral, I know that it's not gonna last so I have to enjoy it now and deeply. So, when you get along with someone or when you go for a walk alone and finally face a wonderful view, it becomes an unforgettable time. It gets more intense when you live that by yourself.
I see travelling as an exchange between you and places where you are, you're bringing with you your background, your point of view, your culture and you have to get ready to change your mind all the time, to be surprised or amazed. Because all these places will bring you so much.
That's how I feel about travelling by using apps like Couchsurfing. I met so many people thanks to that, as an host and as a guest. Couchsurfing helps you find a place to stay wherever in the world and the only expectation is that you might offer a place to stay for travellers in need when you´re available to do it. That's it. But it means, of course, that you like meeting people, dicuss, exchange and share moments with them. Almost all my good moments during my journeys are linked to this app. I hosted many people at my home and now I use Couchsurfing 90% of the time to find a place to stay and meet great people who would help me discover the place, give me advice, share a meal etc.
Besides that, you can also be a volunteer during your journey by finding places where they need help on websites like: Workaway, HelpX or Wwoofing. I'm currently travelling in Southern Europe for two months already and I decided to try this volunteer's experience for the first time. I found this Workaway here in Hostel Idrija. This is another alternative to explore a place, to meet new people; as you are here to give a hand in exchange for a place to sleep and meals. You can stay two weeks or even two months sometimes depending on the needs. Just one different thing, you have to subscribe and pay fort the registration. For Workaway I paid 34 euros for one year.
I'm still going to travel one more month before coming home and until the end I will use Couchsurfing or Workaway. I've been only two times in hostels since the beginning of my trip which means that even if you did't save a lot of money you can travel! And if you're afraid to be alone, trust me, you will never be!
If you're hesitating, if you're frightened: don't be because you will discover that you can trust this world more than you think and above all you can trust yourself more than you thought.
So, what are you waiting for?
