Getting up the Gumption
Written by Jacinta Lodge
I hope you’ll excuse me, but I’d like to delve slightly away from the practicalities of travel for this post and onto a bit more of the philosophy. Or perhaps the psychology of it.
Right now I’m slowly getting organised for a trip to Japan. This is my first real journey to Asia, a surprising and somewhat embarrassing admission for an Australian to make. In my decade in Europe I’ve tended to save the really large money and vacation time for visiting home, meaning that Asia has currently been left behind in my explorations. In working out what I’m going to be doing and where I’m going to go I’ve come to a disappointing conclusion: I’m not as fearless as I used to be.
- i think she knows by Unfurled
Amanda commented on a previous post that Europe is easy, and to a large extent she is right. You can get by with English almost anywhere and the cultures aren’t that different, no matter how much the locals insist they don’t quite “get” their national neighbours. With Asia facing me I’m falling back to the feelings I had before I left Australia for the first time. Uncertain. Slightly overwhelmed. And a little scared.
Back then I was a fresh Uni graduate, eager and excited to backpack around the world, but even in my youthful daring I had moments of anxiety. One of those hit when I was talking to a friend.
“But what if I get robbed in Amsterdam?” I had asked, waving my hands in a slightly panicky, but in hindsight mostly foppish, manner. “What if I lose all my money, my passport, my tickets? What will I do?”
This friend looked at me calmly and said, simply,
“You’ll cope.”
That was the best advice I have ever received. Those two words have gotten me through a lot in life, from serious problems to life’s little catastrophes. There’s really nothing to stop me dealing with whatever situation I wind up in – nothing except myself. So whenever I start to get worried about standing on the train platform of a provincial town in a country where I can’t even begin to grasp the signs let alone communicate with people, I just remind myself:
“You know what? I’ll cope.”
- Don’t Panic Badge by JL2003
Or perhaps you should adopt this one as your motto
http://www.keepcalmandcarryon.com/
Amen, Jacinta. What’s the worst thing that could happen? Getting mugged? Being kidnapped? Infected by flesh eating bacteria? And when you stop and realise that the likelihood of these things is awfully low, you can stop worrying and get on with enjoying the experience.
Will you be sharing your tour plans with us?? We’re all quite curious now =)
Jacinta – I think it’s natural to worry a bit before setting off on a trip, some fear could help you plan sensibly, too much is debilitating and none is reckless.
@Heather. Also a good one, and I like the t-shirt idea.
@Andy Exactly. Flesh eating bacteria are overrated. As to my travel plans.. I’m still making them up and imagine I will be when I’m standing on that train platform. Planning and I REALLY aren’t the best of friends.
@Karen Thanks and you’re totally right!
I’m weirdly the same, as I get older (and sadly have a little less opportunity to travel) I get a little more freaked out too.
However, I promise that Japan is such a special place that despite the (massive) culture differences nothing bad at all will happen to you and you’ll probably fall in love with the place and the people. I lived there for 2 years and would happily go back the instant someone paid for my ticket! Have a fantastic trip!
BTW if you get homesick for Europe while you’re there, the Japanese have become expert at creating little bits of Europe so they don’t have to travel so far, like there’s a huge Dutch theme park in the far west.