5. Be curious.
I always say: try everything at least once. It’s always good to have that sense of adventure in everything you do. Dive off a cliff, swim with the sharks, or if you’re a pathetic non-swimmer like me, try that snail at the Moroccan market or that blowfish in Japan (definitely going in my bucket list). Just do something, anything that makes your heart skip a beat (and will probably make you cringe, too).
4. Cherish the small things.
We get so caught up with the big picture sometimes that we tend to miss the details. Go sit on the park bench and people-watch, or have a beer by the sea and just take it all in. Those are the moments – the moments not captured in our cameras, the beautiful little moments that take our breath away.
3. Just take the leap.
When contemplating doing something outside of your comfort zone like backpacking alone in Asia or catching a 10-hour bus ride from Kathmandu with only the bushes as your toilet stop, remember that the time is NOW. Never doubt yourself and your ability to adapt. Never make excuses. Do it while you’re young and able. This is the perfect time for you to take the dive. Head first.
2. Let go.
Relax. It’s a vacation, after all. So, close that guidebook, disconnect from Google maps (and if you can, from social media, too), and breathe. You got this. Wander the streets aimlessly and get lost, stumble upon a quirky cafe in the alley that wasn’t on your list of Where To Eat, and although we were taught not to talk to strangers by our mothers, now is the best time. The locals give the best insider tips, and are extremely helpful when you don’t have your Google maps on.
1. Love yourself.
I am a strong believer that the lessons we learn outside of the classroom are as equally valuable (sometimes even more) as the things we learn inside. However, having said that: kids, stay in school. Seeing the world changes you, and it’s a good thing. It opens your eyes, your mind, pushes your limits, encourages you to dream, teaches you real independence and makes you believe in yourself. That confidence, knowing that you’ve seen the world yet wanting to see more humbles you. If the cost of me loving myself is getting lost in the cold streets of London no longer able to feel my fingers, or being eaten alive by the bed bugs in a dodgy hotel in India, so be it.
