Prospective Post

I have visited a lot of different places of the world. I have lived in different countries in different continents. I have visited all sorts of areas on the globe. I know which airports have great floors for sleeping (Amsterdam is great for that). I have become very comfortable with other cultures and adapting quickly to my surroundings. I don't think that serious culture shock will be a problem for me. If I can go from Canada to Texas, I'm sure that I can handle Germany. My host family seems very nice and very capable of making my stay as smooth as possible. But one thing that was always constant throughout my travels is my family. I have never visited a country before without a family member, may it be my brother or my parents. This will be the first time that I'll have to travel by myself, and that has me concerned. What if I lose something? What if I forget something? How will I deal with spontaneous problems while my family is not even in the same time zone as me? I keep getting worried that I might lose my passport while also getting rid of any possible way of getting a new one. But I think this is part of the process of the "Hero's Journey." While on the my trip to Germany, I want to get over my fears of travelling without my family.

Travelling has always been one of my favorite hobbies. But a problem I keep facing is my need to use technology. Wherever I go, I need to have my cellphone by my side. I need to make sure I am going the right direction with Google Maps. I need to make sure I am seeing the recommended sites on TripAdvisor. Too many times while traveling, I just go from point A to point B. While studying abroad, I want to try having a few days "off the grid." While I don't mean not having any way of communicating with people if I need to, I want to stop looking at technology to dictate my travels. I want to just explore an area and discover something to see by myself. I want to find an incredible restaurant without relying on recommendations from Yelp. I want to find a way to live in the present instead of constantly planning for the future.

I know that this trip will be very different for me. My lifetime of travelling has not prepared me to go to a completely new area without any family close by. Also, since this is a school trip, I should probably focus on getting good grades. But I know this is a necessary experience, one that will prepare me for my own future travels.