It was 2015, I was on my way to Genova, Italy due to a medical student exchange, It was my dream, since my career started , to be able to travel to this place and thanks to my grandfather I was able to do it.
I wasn't alone at the beginning, the travel was with one of my friends and I also met other people over there. It happens, that if you are in Europe you want to travel to all the possible destinations, but the places I wanted to go did not match with others peoples plans. So I was already there, and by skipping all the overthinking that this kind of things might have, I choose that from the bottom of my heart I must go to Corfu, Greece and Vienna, Austria. I booked both flights and suddenly I realize: mmm my family doesn't know I'm traveling by myself. Well kind of late for that, I was on my way to adventure.
I was anxiously waiting for my flight to departure, there's this strange feeling for the unknown, different language, culture, it was amazing the mixed and overwhelming response of my senses to this adventure approaching.
I know, I know, I wasn't traveling by myself to the jungle or deep in the sea, alone, but this is the beautiful thing about it, once you are aware of what you can discover by yourself, out of your box, outside of your comfort zone, that's when you are capable to see all the magic that is within you, a deeper relationship with you, that you might sometimes not be full aware of.
So arriving at Vienna airport was incredible, one of the must fanciest airports I ever been, I got instantly exited because if the airport looked like that, imagine that musical city!!
By the way I must say, I have no phone or internet service while on my trip, thought it was I good idea, until I realize I needed a map...
I arrived to the metro station, find a map and tried to localized my hotel, which I realize it was pretty far from the city center. Let me tell you, it's not that I didn't want to pay for a taxi, it's just those cities are for walking, I'm a huge fan of every place where you can walk around, see their people, culture, grab a snack, shopping, but... it was getting dark, and I was getting tired. I tried really hard to follow the map but I was in the wrong direction until someone sow me.Sow this guy getting out of a musical university and he tells me something in German, I don't speak German, so I tried to communicate in English, but he doesn't speak English, and then he says: Spanish? And I was like: SIIIIII! We start talking, and it result that he was from my country, he was from El Salvador too, what a wonderful world right!? I was happy, he gave my directions and everything, later on a guy in the metro help to buy my ticket and show me which lines to take, another girl in the metro told me about some places to visit, and finally a guy who was passing by show me where my hotel was.
I might not be the most sociable person but this people where so kind to me, I was surprised.But at the time a I got to my hotel I started to cry, I loose the hole day trying to get to my hotel and I missed the chance to see the city, I felt alone, and frustrated for reasons I couldn't explain.
I realize further that this type of experiences are normal, we fear the unknown but if we see a little further, trust me you won't be disappointed at all. When it comes to travel the unknown it's what keeps you moving. You get deep in to the feeling and it changes you, you are you plus a hundred experiences and more if you dare.I had so much fun in that city, beautiful, incredible places, music, and you can walk from one point to another and don't get tired cause you're distractedly enjoy everything.
I took my second flight to Corfu, in this one I didn't booked a hotel, which wasn't a good idea, thank God I was able to find one near the airport, so I walked and ask for a room, this city is completely different, I was a little afraid to go out alone in the night for a walk, so the first night I stayed at the hotel, feeling bad again of course for wasting my time because of fear. At the next day I start walking, it results that I was a couple blocks from the city center by walk, and they have this market wich is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, like when you miss somewhere you've never been before, It made feel alive, I felt in love with that feeling. I was more comfortable, I was swimming in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time, eating delicious homemade meals, shopping handmade jewels, I was breathing culture and tons of love and hard work.
At the end you get many emotions by traveling alone, is a deeper connection with yourself, but you can only have that with this type of experiences, you don't have to go really far to understand what it means, it starts with one small step out of your comfort zone, and a couple miles later you're not the same person anymore. You are More than you thought, it's different and it fits you.
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The traveling gift
Short StoryA brief story about my first time traveling by myself and how it changes yourself.