Dreamed of exploring the world? Here are some simple tips to help you with your quest, by Rosa Fairfield
"... so one day my mother sat me down and explained that I couldn't become an explorer because everything in the world had already been discovered. I'd ben born in the wrong century, and I felt cheated." - Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Most things have already been discovered - although, I think it would be ignorant to assume people have discovered all the world's secrets - but there is something exhilarating about discovering a place you have never seen before. It is my goal to see and experience as much as I can in my lifetime.
How to be an explorer
You don't have to travel a million miles
You don't always need to travel to another country. There are amazing things to be discovered where you are. Sometimes you just have to get on a train... or even just start walking and see what you stumble upon.
See things with new eyes
Have an open mind. We sometimes can be so used to seeing things that we just dismiss them, instead of seeing their beauty. One of my favourite moments is when I'm in a car and the road around me is surrounded by trees and dappled sunlight is shinning through them.
Engage your senses and be present in the moment
If your mind is somewhere else, you will never truly appreciate the world around you. A great way to centre yourself is to engage all your senses, think about what the air smells like, even what it tastes like. I find sound works best for me, as it's my strongest sense.
Keep a journal
Write down your discoveries. If nothing else, it is a great way to empty your mind. To let your last adventure go so you can find the next one.
It's about the journey not just the end result
Exploring is never just about discovering the wonderful place, it is how you get there and sometimes this can be more exciting. There have been many times where I have ended up lost or in crazy situations, trying to get somewhere, that is all part of the fun.
Fear is your friend
It can be scary to do new things, to go places on your own... embrace it. I get really bad anxiety sometimes... but in a weird way I kind of like it. There is something exhilarating about feeling a deep sense of fear and then over coming it. To feel is to be alive.
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