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Traveling With Expectations

August 2nd, 2022

Bocas Del Toro, Panama

I always felt like prior to going on this adventure, aside from, you know, typical 3-week luxury vacations in Europe, or a weeklong adventure trip that long-term travel and backpacking always looked so glamorous. Everyone was out and about, meeting new people, they always looked happy.

Although it was an unrealistic expectation, in my mind I figured my troubles, worries, and anxieties simply wouldn’t exist while traveling. Which let me clarify very quickly is simply not true. Although the anxieties and fear may occur less frequently here, they’re still a thing.

When I say I’ve had some mental breakdowns about missing my friends, budgeting, sleeping with locals, worrying about dropping out of college, and making sure I’m still crushing it at work, I mean I’ve had some serious mental breakdowns. Like walking along the beach, bawling my eyes out, listening to Tyler Childers (btw, if you’ve never cried on a beach with the sun going down and country music in the background – I recommend it… it’s a very freeing experience) type of breakdown.


I had these big expectations that within 2 months I would become a whole new person: wiser, more in tune with myself, blah, blah, blah. I had this vision that I’d become some holistically centered person that was happy every second – which I don’t even think exists!!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I have learned so much while I’ve been here, and it's been by far the most amazing experience of my life. I’ve become way more confident in who I am: my personality, my body, and just my confidence in owning everything about me. That’s why traveling is so cool because no one cares. You don’t have that little petty drama and fears that people will judge you like you do at home, because in all reality you will probably never see these people again. Although I’m not a fan of when people say you can reinvent yourself everywhere you go and you can be your authentic self when you travel, because I believe you should always be striving to be your authentic self no matter where you are, at home or traveling.




I will say, the fears that exist around this in your hometown are 100% subsided when traveling, and it’s an amazing and freeing feeling.

I’ll also put it out there that people you meet in hostels and traveling through 3rd world countries all have that same mindset – some are pros, and some are just starting out like me. This makes it for such a cool vibe, and you can really learn so much from the people you meet. 

I can say with 100% confidence that there is nothing I would change about this trip, but if there’s one thing I would tell myself or anyone else starting to travel out there, is to leave your expectations at home. That’s one of the great things about learning to not have expectations is that everything then exceeds them! You can always find a positive spin on something, and with travel you never know the curve balls that are going to get thrown at you. Especially with long term travel, learn to be ok with the fact that there will be days you’re feeling off, have anxiety, need a rest day. You don’t have to be in “go-mode” all day long. Take the mental reset day to just relax and center yourself because I guarantee you will need it!