Is everything different afterwards?  What I learned on my world trip.

A year ago, I set off on a great journey. A few days later, I was in the middle of a great adventure and experienced wonderful things. I have long since returned to everyday routine. And now? Now, a year later, I look back and answer the question: Is everything different afterwards? What I learned on my world trip.

In autumn 2019, I spent two months travelling in Sweden, the USA, Japan, Bali, Taiwan and Thailand. In the journey, I got to know myself, asked myself questions about life, and rethought many of my attitudes. I met great people, saw beautiful things and simply enjoyed my time.

All these experiences have left a sustainable mark on me. So much has changed since then, some of which I can't put into words or only want to share with my closest friends. I have developed and - once back home - made decisions. And I had to struggle with getting back to everyday life. In the months after my return, I developed many new ideas, discarded them, took them up again. I made big plans, set myself big goals - some stayed, others faded into the background after a while. So that I can always remember them, I have written down some of my experiences, insights and goals. I would like to share some of them with you.

Is everything different afterwards?

Is it that you come home looking like a different person, so to speak? Is everything really different afterwards? For me personally, I can say that I experienced many things differently, noticed things differently, rethought my attitudes and changed my goals in life. In this respect, many things are different for the person returning home than before. I have also heard this from many other travellers.

In the course of time, all that normalises. You end up back in the here and now, in everyday life, in existence. And yet I will keep some things in my heart and, if possible, base my decisions on them.

Companions make life

We all have companions. They are companions, reminders, helpers, hesitators, questioners and supporters. Some come, some go, and some stay for life. And it is precisely they who make up life.

I really became aware of this after my trip. Before, during and after the trip, my environment reacted very differently; there were people who encouraged me to take the step, who gave me the final push. There were those who thought I was crazy, who talked me into dire consequences, who scared me, who transferred their own concerns onto me. And there were those who shared their thoughts and experiences with me along the way, who helped me "discover myself" and showed me my strengths.

The different reactions influenced me a lot, especially during the time of planning the trip. I thought a lot about why some people react so negatively. Then I noticed that sometimes they were guided by fear for me, or that they were transferring their own fears onto me. With this knowledge, I was able to distance myself from their thoughts and trust myself more again.

What I have learned from all experiences is: encounters, reactions, conversations influence us in many ways. Some we forget or repress, others remain in our memory for a long time. Some hit us like a blow, others unfold their meaning only later.

No matter how we interact with our companions, no matter what they tell us: they shape us, accompany us, take us out of our comfort zone or give us a home in times of difficulty. Companions in life are incredibly important. And they make the things we experience more beautiful.

Going through life with an open mind

We are shaped by our culture, our environment, our experiences, our education and much more. Each of us lives by certain values - and everyone has their prejudices. I often become aware of this when travelling, when people surprise me. What I was allowed to experience in these situations has changed me a bit and shaped me afresh. I keep coming up against my prejudices, which are so often unfounded. And then I try to make myself aware of that.

As naïve and flat as it may sound to many, it doesn't depend on how much money someone has, what they do for a living, what kind of car they drive or what great things they've already experienced. What matters is what makes a person tick - their heart, their charisma, their attitudes, their thoughts. If we become a little more open, we can experience so many valuable things.

Facing change fearlessly

The good old comfort zone - we feel good in it, we can wrap ourselves up comfortably. That's OK if we are happy or satisfied with it. Sometimes, however, the comfort zone stands for the familiar, for stagnation, for security thinking or even fear. These things may keep us from great, new experiences.

Feel gratitude

Gratitude. A simple, often used word that sometimes hides a phrase, sometimes the whole world. Sometimes gratitude is something great, a moment of happiness that suddenly overcomes us. Other times we take things for granted, giving little thought to the good that comes our way.

Today I looked at the photos of my great journey once again in peace and quiet, and many different sensations mixed into a jumble of feelings. Joy, melancholy, happiness. And: gratitude. For the opportunity to go on this journey. For what I was able to experience on the way. For the people I was able to meet. For the little things that became something big.

It is worthwhile to always pause and notice small, beautiful moments. It can be a funny evening with friends, a small gesture of friendship, a sunset or someone smiling at you on the street.

With these words I end my journey.

If you have the chance, take a trip and enjoy the time.