The Traveller

The Journey

An eighteen year old, a student, a daughter, a sister and a traveller, my name is Leah and this is my story and experience.

I had never in my life travelled alone, even though I really wanted to. I've always wanted to witness the beauty of nature on my own. Sit on a sandy beach, walk through the lush green carpets of a forest, but most of all, wobble my way through the thick snow of Greenland to look at the Northern lights; the Aurora. Just look at nature through my own two eyes.

And now here I am. My wish finally fulfilled.

I am sitting on a sandy private beach, the ocean a vast and endless blue, boundless. And the sky as clear as glass with clouds decorating it like soft cotton candy. I sit and ponder over the natural beauty and marvel at the motion of the ocean. How can something be so rough yet so gentle? If I had been here with my family, we would have gone swimming for hours on end and ate a ton of ice cream. But that was not what I am here for. Being on your own teaches you things that you would never have known if you came with your family, things about yourself. It gives you something to think about. It questions the deepest depths of your perception. And you find asking yourself, "Do I really know who I am?"

The Sun smiles down at me, kissing my skin, beautifying it with a tan. I walk on the sand, soft grains grinding in between my toes. The warm breeze blew threw my wavy hair. I have never felt so alive before in my entire life. Never felt so free. I got a chance to try out sushi, different cocktails, coconut juice and much more. It truly was exhilarating.

Over the next few days, I enjoyed the sun and the ocean. Every morning I came to the beach and watched the sun rise, painting the sky an eccentric canvas of different arrays of soft colours, from yellow to orange, a painting of nature.
I was sad to leave the Lanikai Beach, Hawaii, but I knew my adventure was not over yet. I was yet to witness the highlight of my adventure.

As I walk through this thick , white blanket of snow that has covered the earth's surface, my body is filled with adrenaline, at the the thought of going to my dream place, alone. I look up at the velvety moonlit night sky. The stars glittered like dazzling crystallites. The icy breeze blew gently against my numb face, capturing this moment as surreal. I went into the cozy cottage alongside a frozan lake, near a light tower. It was smell yet elegant. The windows were covered by silver satin curtains. The carpet was fluffy and a dark charcoal colour. The interior was simply magnificentand created a rustic wood feeling.

After a cup of warm hot chocolate and cookies, I headed outside. My eyes casted upwards and I saw nature's greatest phenomenon. The lights blazed in the sky. They resembled the swirl of a fragile rose. The colours were pure and magical. They were dancing, flowing above me. Soft ribbons of emerald and ruby swirled between the stars, adding colour to the dark starlit sky.  I was sure about one thing: after looking at this, every type of firework will look bland.

For the next few days, I dressed up in my warm jackets and headed outside. I stayed up entire nights to watch the lights. The best thing about my adventure was that I had amazing accommodation including food and a beautiful view.

Travelling on my own taught me who I really am. It taught me that I enjoy being with myself. I enjoy nature and appreciate its beauty. It taught me that just like nature, my natural beauty is the best. I would never have learnt this if I didn't make this trip. When you are on your own, in places like these, you tend to think. You are at peace with no one around you. You get to go wherever you want to, whenever you want to. You listen to your heartbeats and relish in the serenity of nature.

It is not scary at all. It is a journey of excitement and adrenaline and a journey lf thoughts and redemption.

Travelling on your own, leaves marks on the pathway that you are travelling on, on your body, on your soul and on your heart. Often, these marks are beautiful.

Fifty years from now, you don't want to turn around and be disappointed by the things you didn't do and the places you never travel to. So get off your couch, take the risk, walk away from the concrete jungles and explore. Discover. Beacuse thay is what will remind you of the great things you did.

It will remind you that you conquered your adventures by travelling solo.