Fear gotcha?
In honor of October, the month of ghosts and goblins, I thought I would write about something we can all relate to, especially the closer it gets towards Halloween. We purposely like to be scared. We create fearful situations and and we relish in the screams we gladly participate in as we run through a haunted house. Fear can be fun. The rush of adrenaline that surges through our bodies as we sit at the edge of the couch, watching a horror flick, makes us smile and cringe. The creaking noise a house makes when we are all alone, may not be as fun.
But, did you know that FEAR is the number one reason people from the United States are afraid to travel? Only 42% of us have passports, compared to other developed countries such as Canada with 66% and the UK (England and Wales) with 76%. I hear it all the time, “I will never leave the the USA”, said one of my patients from the New England area. I asked her why and she told me that she was afraid and that we have so much to see here. I agree that we are a beautiful country and we do have so much here, but I also love that there is so much to be explored outside of our comfort zone. To be honest, I am pretty fearless overseas. I have more fear going downtown locally, at night, than being in another country alone.
I will admit that I am a little nervous about going to New Delhi, India. What is creating this fear? It has to be because I am letting people and things I read, get in my head. I need to stop that. This is exactly why I don’t watch the news. I start having fear. I understand that it is important to be informed, but I scroll past any fear mongering on social media. Drives me crazy. I like to live with hope and love in my mind. I have common sense. And I research and prepare for adventures.
A recent survey analyzing google search trends, by the team at Your Local Security, indicated the top 5 travel fears are:
1. Safe food
2. Natural disaster
3. Getting sick
4. Language barrier
5. Assault
I can certainly understand the first one. I am not at all afraid to try foods from other cultures. I love it! It’s half the experience of traveling. But, I got so sick in Indonesia and China. And let me tell you, in Indonesia, the “toilet” was a hole-in-the-ground. I remember eating Tempeh that day. It’s fried, so I don’t think that was the culprit. I was on the floor for 2 days. It was awful. The same thing happened in China. I had no idea what I ate there, but it was after going to a restaurant that had a menu I did not understand. Of all the great things I did traveling in those places, it is 20 years later, and I can still remember that pain, and the saltiness of my sweat as I curled up in a ball until it passed. I really hope that never happens again.
I can’t compete with mother nature, so that is not a fear of mine. You never know what is going to happen, but you shouldn’t let it keep you from living. Obviously, avoid hurricane season, volcanos and any other natural disaster seasons that may be happening. In this case, I am all about watching the news. Safety first!
If you are afraid of getting sick, is is even more important to have travel insurance. Find out what your local insurance plan covers and if is is not enough, your travel insurance plan may be a better an option, especially if you are going international. If you have pre-existing conditions, talk to your travel agent because this does make a difference in plans.
No habla espanol? No problemo! There are so many apps out there that can help you navigate your way through another country. Will it make you fluent? Of course not! But, people appreciate it when you try. I have experienced nothing but kindness when I try. Duolingo is a good app to study with BEFORE you go on your trip. No one will make fun of you, and if they do, then they’re just bullies and bullies suck, so don’t let it get to you. Learn how to ask where the bathroom is, and never pass up an opportunity to use one. I learned that from the wise Erma Bombeck. I still know how to say “thank you” in Indonesian: terima kasih. Once in a blue moon, I will get a patient from Indonesia, and I always whip that out at the end of the appointment. They leave smiling.
Finally, if you are afraid of being assaulted, you should always be aware of your surroundings, but not afraid. Fear will overcome you and take away your light, Awareness will make you smarter and better prepared. Personally, I think everyone should take self defense classes, men, women and children. Know the laws of where you are going. If traveling internationally, a lot of countries will not allow you to bring pepper spray. Some countries will jail you for it. A quick google search will tell you what you need to know.
While I get that fear is real, believe me, for over 20 years, before I discovered acupuncture, I lived in fear. I had constant panic attacks. I never do now. And for whatever reason, I rarely even get anxiety when I travel. I guess because it’s my happy place, I can truly relax. That is a good place to be. My hope is for anyone that is afraid to travel, short or long distance, please know that people are people. Ultimately, we ALL want love and peace. There are bad seeds everywhere, even in your own backyard. Don’t let fear deter you from exploring. It really hurts my heart that people are afraid. I wish everyone loved traveling as much as I do. And if you think you would love it but are afraid, reach out to me. I will be happy to talk to you, to comfort you and give you advice from personal experience. I want you to embrace the joys of travel. Take a deep breath, kick fear to the curb, and Let’s Go!
#letsgo #travel #travelfears #explore #travelagent #adventure
