I took a trip last year to Europe. It had been on my bucket list since I was 16 and wanted to learn French and Spanish. I went by myself but met up with acquaintances and friends while there. It was a big undertaking as I had never traveled to Europe. I had traveled to South Korea by myself a couple of times but that was more familiar since I was born there. (The second return trip was much easier than the first since I knew more what to expect.)
Europe was an absolute necessity, especially since I had broken my leg the prior year and never got to go after buying non-refundable tickets. I would’ve quietly gone insane if I hadn’t gone. It was one of those things that you absolutely know that you have to do, or you will have a hole in your soul and be incomplete and die very unhappy. (That may sound overly dramatic but if you have ever had a burning desire, you will understand my passion.)
No matter what, I was going. I even had a friend that was dissuading me from going. I didn’t listen to him then, nor the first time I traveled to South Korea by myself. (I did have to let go of that friendship later as he didn’t align with my values of being true to myself.) These were journeys that I had to take to build my identity and fulfill life-long dreams.
I had to take responsibility for my happiness no matter the opposition. It was one of those actions that you have to make and do for your highest good because you feel deep down that a part of you will be lost if you don’t do it. It wasn’t always easy since everything was so new, my budget wasn’t huge, and I didn’t have a traveling companion for some of that time.
However, I am appreciative of the friends that did meet me to show me the way when they could. I can say that I was in 4 different countries and 4 different airports in one day. I was running on adrenaline, but it was the only way to get to the intended destination.
The photo above is one of the brief ones I took inside La Alhambra. I had to really go out of my way to get in, as the time of my tour changed, and I wasn’t fully understanding the text I received the day before. When I did figure out the tour time change, it was too late to buy a new ticket to enter the buildings. However, after making a special trip down south to see La Alhambra, I wasn’t going to stay on the outside if I could help it. I only had two hours before my train trip to Madrid and I had to wait in a couple of lines to finally gain entrance, but I did manage to buy a Garden ticket to at least see part of the garden. The building tickets were sold out for the time current time slot. I allowed myself 30 minutes in and 30 minutes to get out as I had to get back to the hotel to pick up my bag and get to the train station that was in a location that was unfamiliar to me. I ended up having the hotel call me a cab so I wouldn’t be late. My train ticket wasn’t refundable, and I had to be on that train to meet a friend in Madrid. So, as much as I wanted to explore La Alhambra, even going out of my way to go to Granada from Paris, I absolutely needed to be on that train. (I will go another time in future and buy the ticket directly from La Alhambra rather than go through a tour agency that doesn’t guarantee the time of entry. This seems to be the lesson with all of the tours. Unless you have extra time and a flexible schedule, it is best to buy the tickets directly.)
In summary, in the face of opposition, follow your gut instincts and always stay true to your highest Self. You won’t have any regrets later and you will have lived a life of passion.
Note: This post is another in Choose happiness – Soul to Crown, LLC.
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