“I want to travel abroad, but I don’t have the confidence. How can I overcome this?”

1)  Be conscious of your fears. Now, interrogate them.

Fears surrounding traveling abroad are not so much about confidence as they are about comfort. By interrogating your discomfort and discovering its underlying cause, you can then begin to address it. 

 

I, for one, often use the following exercise: 

 

1)    Follow your fears to their “ends.” What is the worst-case scenario?

 

Example: You are afraid of traveling alone. Your worst-case scenario ends with you lost in an unfamiliar city.

 

2)    Mentally address how you might get yourself out of that worst-case scenario.

 

Example: You maintain your breathing and slowly retrace your steps to the best of your ability, looking out for any identifying landmarks. 

 

You hear sounds nearby and find yourself on a main thoroughfare. You ask for help from locals. They are unfamiliar with the area you are attempting to be directed toward. The authorities are not patrolling nearby. 

 

You calmly reassess your situation and walk into a local market, asking the clerk for directions. He is able to verbally map out your path home. 

 

3)    Make peace with the conclusion of your "fear scenario." Know that whatever happens, you are more than capable of getting through it. 

 

Ignoring your fears only allows them to fester. If you can, confront them in your head before facing them in real life. 

 

     

2)  Get (a little) lost on your own terms. 

These days, a phone and a good power bank can help you navigate just about anywhere. These tools, however, only momentarily absolve you of your inexperience; they do not, however, remove it altogether. Neither can Google Maps, on its own, make navigating abroad necessarily pleasant. 

 

Confidence is built by taking an active interest in ALL aspects of the place you find yourself studying in, rather than viewing it through the lens of a checklist.

 

As scary as it sounds, put the phone away (just in your pocket). Now, walk. The phone will, after all, wait for you if you ever need it. 

 

Now, pay attention to your senses – this will help you remain grounded in your body. What do you see, touch, taste, smell, or hear? What do these inputs tell you about the culture and social customs surrounding you? 

 

Additionally, getting lost on your own terms allows you to prepare for the inevitable moment when something unexpected happens to you while traveling abroad. 

 

You can learn a lot about yourself and your new community by walking into a local coffee shop or an odd specialty store; business owners are the heart of communities. By meeting locals where they are at - both figuratively and literally - you can begin to feel more established within the fold of your new environment.

 

3)  Give yourself grace. Vulnerability is your greatest weapon. 

When asked about her experience studying abroad, Rebecca Holm of Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, stated, “Keep in mind that everyone else around you, especially those studying abroad, feel the same way as you. They too don’t have a single CLUE on how to properly do this study abroad thing, especially in the beginning. You can find community in that. It’s ok to be vulnerable. Your fears are a point of connection.”

 

 

Final Remarks

 

The faster you are to treat yourself as a part of your new community and believe that you are allowed to exist within it, the faster you’ll stop “faking-it-till-you-make-it” and start genuinely experiencing your new life. 

 

 

 

I look forward to your postcard,

 

Wren 

 

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I'd welcome any and all questions, concerns, or thoughts in the comment section below this post. Simply type in your feedback and press Enter. Alternatively, you can reach me personally at chynzie611@gmail.com.