Take The First Step...

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase"

- Martin Luther King Jr.

It's great to see people take the first step towards a new life, whether it is moving in with their partner, marriage or your first house its a big step. Another big step is making the decision to leave everything and everyone behind and go travelling. A decision many people, myself included, refer to as their 'Dream'. Taking a step towards your future is always going to be a terrifying choice and a lot of its relies on trusting yourself. Having faith.

Trusting your instincts is hard, especially when you deviate from what people consider the 'norm'. The hardest thing can be the feeling that you shouldn't do it because it isn't the norm and you lose every piece of 'security' you have. You almost feel obliged to remain on societies course instead of taking that first step and trusting yourself. A lot of travellers I have spoken to have felt the same pressure but the one thing we all have in common is we decided to ignore it, have faith in ourselves and live our dreams.

My reasoning, when I made my peace with the idea, was that hundreds of people have made the decision to do just want I wanted to do before me... And have been just fine. After speaking to a friend of my sisters, hearing all her wonderful stories of travelling and how you can come back afterwards and life just kind of continues I sat and said to myself, what would I regret more? Going and it not working out only to come back and continue on the path society sets for you or not going at all. Obviously I chose the former. I had been so hesitant about travelling for years as my job wouldn't allow me the time off, the thought of depleting my savings I had worked so hard to cultivate and the lack of conviction in my abilities but the ideal of having true freedom and satiating my wanderlust was too strong.

So if you are considering a life of travel consider to yourself what you would regret more. Living your dreams, even if only for a few brief months or years, or never having the faith that you can do it? Whether you are British and want to explore Australia, Australian and dream of living in London like my friend Emma did (read her blog post on Loving, Living and Leaving London here) or want to explore the delights of South America, Asia or Africa, Have faith in yourself. Because I know you can live the life you dream, whatever that may be.