If you have looked around this website much, or have been following my Instagram account for awhile, you’ll know that I’m a huge believer in healing trauma through travel.
The moment I realized I was having PTSD symptoms after the accident, 6 years ago now, I knew I needed to get lost in a different country for a while… but why? What is it about roving the planet that soothes the soul?
A lot of the time it can look like running from your problems or ignoring them completely, which can 100% be the case in a lot of instances. If done correctly though traveling can pierce the deepest parts of who you are and force you to examine every little part of yourself under a whole new microscope.
I have no official training in psychology and always encourage anyone struggling to seek professional help, but here are 3 ways that I have found traveling to be a healing practice.
I. Traveling allowed me to see myself in a whole new light.
Everything changed and I was forced to look at the world around me in a whole new way, including myself.
When I’m in a different culture, the smallest things can change from the one that I’m used to and that loop I felt like my brain was stuck in is disrupted. The world looked different because it was different, and in the middle of it all… was me. The same me that went through a traumatic event.
Tasting new foods, saying new words, and dancing to new songs. My skin and bones that felt tired and spent before had a new glow. There I was, center stage, the light shining directly on me. Only this time it was a stage light and not a spotlight. Instead of feeling exposed, I felt like I was shining.
II. I made connections.
As a trauma survivor, I can speak from experience when I say that shutting yourself off from human connection is one of the worst things you can do while trying to heal. Our brain needs connection with other humans to thrive. As scary as the judgment or opinions of other people can be, there is so much beauty in forming a bond with others and in my opinion, the benefit is worth the risk.
There was freedom in making these connections while I was traveling. In a new city, country, or continent where nobody knows what I have been through. Nobody had read the newspaper articles that misrepresented my experience, nor was anyone aware that I’d been convicted of a crime I did not commit. They simply saw me as I was. I had the option to tell people as little or as much as I wanted to about myself.
I did not make any lifelong friends while traveling, these connections were as simple as approaching a stranger on the street to ask for directions. Chatting with servers at new restaurants and talking with our taxi driver about the economy. Despite how minor they seem, they changed me for the better.
III. Traveling is my ultimate act of self-love.
I have been on international trips before and have traveled all over the United States with my family. My recent trip to Greece was the first trip that I selected, planned, and executed entirely by myself and for myself. While I wasn’t traveling alone, my best friend and sister went with me, they knew from early in the planning stages that they were mainly along for the ride. Greece was for me.
Something is healing in making a decision for yourself and following through with it. I knew I wanted to go to Greece several years before I went. The day I bought the tickets was one of the biggest gifts I had ever given myself. Living out that dream was just another part of that self-care puzzle.
Self-love has been crucial in my healing process. Perhaps it’s because, for so many years, I HAD to be concerned about what others thought of me. I had to wonder what message my actions/words were conveying to the world around me. It felt like prying eyes were on me at all times. The moment I was able to release the judgment of the prosecutors I was able to start showing myself radical self-love.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to seek the help of a trained counselor or psychologist if you are struggling with your mental health. If you are seeking healing, I want to encourage you it is possible. For me, healing happened through therapy, the support of my loved ones, and further exploring this crazy, beautiful, wonderful, confusing, complicated, diverse, authentic world.