Backpacking – A route to facing your fears

No pain, no gain! 

If you want to go backpacking and see what this wonderful wide world has to offer, its more than likely that you’re going to have to step outside of your comfort zone. 

Personally I hate needles, I fainted when I had my ear pierced ... I was 23 at the time, the shame!  Stepping into the doctor’s office to get my vaccinations before heading to Sri Lanka and India was one giant footprint well outside of my comfort zone, but if I hadn’t taken that step, I wouldn’t never have got to see what that part of Asia to offer. 

The way I see it, travelling is a challenge, and facing some of your worst fears is all part of it, you’ll be a better person for facing them.  They might be terrifying at the time, but once you come out the other end, it’ll be another thing you can put on your achievements list and feel mightily proud of.

Fears you might face:

• Needles

Vaccinations are a must before heading aware to strange new lands.  The last thing you want to do is end up in a foreign hospital where you don’t speak the language and have no idea what’s going on.  Getting the correct shots is essential, getting over your fear of needles will be one for the achievement list before you’ve even left your own country.

• Flying

Flying will be the main route by which you get to your chosen destination(s).   Much like vaccinations, you don’t really have too much of a choice in this one, if you don’t face your fear you don’t get to see the world. 

• Heights

Apart from the obvious flying in a plane to your chosen country part, lots of other amazing adventures can be experienced at great height.  Year after year backpackers jump out of planes whilst strapped to an instructor, jump off of bridges with only a bungee cord tied around their legs, climb world famous bridges attached by a mere wire, or climb gigantic mountains attached to ... well nothing.  If you seek the big adrenalin rushes you’ll need to face that fear of heights.  It’ll be worth it once you’re at home showing off the DVD of your achievement and feeling 10 feet tall!

• Spiders/bugs

Want to go jungle trekking?  Sleep in a tree house somewhere?  Sleep on a beach somewhere else?  Exposing yourself to the beauty of nature means just that, nature, living things, bugs and insects.  It’s not as if they’re all out to savagely kill you whilst you sleep, you just might have to spend a night or two with them as extra room mates. 

• Unknown

Ok not a fear as such, but this just sums it up really.  You never know what you’re going to come up against whilst travelling.  But if you want to get the best out of your time away, man up and tackle these obstacles head on.  Maybe it’s easier said than done, but the longer you delay something, the harder it gets. Challenging yourself with all of the above will make you a stronger person, give you a huge confidence boost and laden you 101 stories to tell.  A worthwhile sacrifice I think.

Written and contributed by BackpacksAndBunkBeds
www.backpacksandbunkbeds.co.uk