The idea of going travelling in order to “find yourself” may seem dangerously cliche, but it’s one of those cliches that’s developed for a clear and straightforward reason. Namely, that it reflects a real phenomenon.
From time to time we all fall on hard times, emotionally and psychologically speaking, and in these low moments it can be difficult to see the forest from the trees. Travel can be just the “getaway” we need in order to shake things up and make some positive changes.
Here are a few ways in which a road trip can help you to find yourself.
By giving you the distance from your everyday life to do some deep thinking
When you’re sitting around in your usual environment, you’ll typically be thinking your usual thoughts, and having your usual experiences.
But if something is fundamentally not working for you in the structure of your everyday life — in particular, if you feel like you’re disconnected from your higher values or are drifting into psychologically harmful domains that you don’t want anything to do with — then your usual routine and setting are likely going to prove part of the problem rather than part of the solution, at least in the short term.
A road trip gets you away from the familiar in a way that many forms of travel can’t manage. Not only are you going “somewhere else”, but you’re constantly on the move, likely waking up somewhere new on a daily or almost daily basis.
This break with your familiar settings and routines also makes it easier to break with familiar thought patterns, too. You can read new books and think up new ideas. This, in turn, allows you to do some deep and meaningful thinking that everyday concerns might otherwise keep you from doing.
By forcing you to be more self-reliant for a while
When you’re at your lowest, one of the major symptoms is often a sensation of helplessness, as if you don’t have what it takes to protect yourself and chart your own course in the world. One of the all-time best remedies for this state of mind, is to take steps to be more autonomous and self-reliant.
Going on a road trip naturally puts you in a situation where you need to be more self-reliant. If your car is damaged, you’ll have to do the best you can to deal with it until you’re able to find a Vauxhall body shop.
If your kitchen isn’t waiting for you, you have to be more proactive with planning meals.
If you don’t have someone telling you where to go and what to do, you have to plan your own route.
This dose of increased self-reliance can have strikingly positive effects on your self-confidence and self-awareness.
By forcing you to confront a certain level of discomfort
As a rule, to grow and to truly discover ourselves, our temperaments, our strengths and weak spots, and our limits, we need to be exposed to a certain level of discomfort.
A road trip can and should be a great and uplifting experience, all told. But it will also inevitably be less comfortable than home.
Having to “rough it” to a modest extent can help you to do some valuable work in terms of developing self-knowledge and reflecting on your priorities.
