Discovering Magnificent Routes Without Getting Lost

I always consider myself fortunate. Setting foot on all seven continents before the age of 33, those journeys, not easily obtained, helped me harvest countless valuable experiences.

Discovering Magnificent Routes Without Getting Lost

But 2017 was particularly special, the time when I realized very clearly that through those journeys, I was able to truly introspect...

Getting Acquainted with Fear

Returning to the summer nights of 2005, at the Salford University dormitory (Manchester, England), my room's light always shone brightly all night. Some friends and even security guards were curious and amazed whenever they passed by, thinking that I was studying diligently under the light, but little did they know... I was afraid of ghosts, needing to turn on the light and wrap myself in a blanket to sleep soundly.

Not only afraid of ghosts, I also used to fear heights, loneliness, failure... My world used to be cramped with countless fears, big and small. It wasn't until Oliver - a strong-willed American friend - jolted me with cold water, making me reconsider: 'Why are you afraid of everything? Just staying in your comfort zone, don't you find youth boring?'

Oliver's 'medicine' made me ponder and decide to confront my fears... through solo trips. Fear of heights, I chose to climb Mount Fansipan or stand atop the Eiffel Tower (France) looking straight down at the ground despite trembling legs, silently encouraging myself 'if other girls can do it, I can do it too'.

I daringly turned off the lights (something very normal for many others, except me) and gradually drifted into sleep despite the initial difficulty.

Solo trips turned out to be not so lonely, somewhere there was always someone willing to chat, to give attention... if only I truly opened up, smiled.

The feeling of conquering a fear - once deemed 'an impossible mission' - is indescribable, it makes you tremble even as you sink into deep sleep. That's when the saying really sinks in: 'Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right!' by Henry Ford.

It's worth mentioning that I used to have many prejudices about Germans and Europeans because they seemed aloof, if not downright cold. I even thought they were quite arrogant until many locals enthusiastically helped me find my backpack forgotten at the Frankfurt city train station (Germany), or renowned scientists turned out to be very warm, welcoming when discussing at the 2017 World Water Conference in Stockholm (Sweden)...

And I suddenly realized that I could still live well without a phone, without social media... even though life was slightly disrupted in the first few days. But thanks to not using digital devices, if I wanted to find my way, I had to ask, and I discovered that the people of Paris (France) were always willing to help me find the address I needed, contrary to what I had heard before.

In truth, it seems that the less we use technology and money, the more clearly and deeply we can feel cultures and people. Of course, thorough preparation is necessary in some aspects.

Renowned scientist Erol Ozan has a life perspective that many people agree with and I find profound: 'Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost'.

And indeed, stepping out of the 'comfort zone', overcoming fears is also a strong breakthrough, making trips more interesting, meaningful...

The Secret of Unseen Beauties

In the era of Industry 4.0, people mostly tend to attach themselves more to technology, social media above all else. Therefore, many young people admit that they easily fall into states of loneliness, fatigue due to envy and the level of skepticism about life also increases... as remarked by 'the poet of sorrows' Nguyen Phong Viet with recent writings.

From the 'fake news', the glamorous images of the online world, to the rapid changes in technology leading to both positive and negative outcomes (like the Secret chat function on Facebook that stores content for only a few seconds as set, one of the technologies believed to make infidelity easier)..., young people are easily confused and bewildered. And perhaps journeys will give them the most honest, balanced answers.

For example, some still lavish praise on American, Japanese, Korean, French societies... and say 'you will never have this, that problem abroad'. Is that true? Journeys will help you realize that no society is perfect, full of ups and downs.

Higher education in the US is criticized by their own people as 'top-notch quality but gold-plated'; life in Japan and Korea is too stressful, leading to the highest suicide rates among young people worldwide; pickpocketing, corruption in France is becoming more serious with each passing day...

I realize that by traveling extensively, you will observe the overall picture of today's world, it will help people reduce anxiety, increase trust in life, homeland is for that reason.

Or like the story of my German friend Daniel, he has visited Vietnam three times but still always wants to return to the Northwest, Nha Trang... with admiration: 'Vietnamese cuisine is excellent, Vietnamese scenery is magnificent, more beautiful than the scenery of my homeland.

Therefore, you don't need to go far to see the beauty of the world. That's the saying of an 80s born in Dresden, one of Germany's top beautiful cities and has set foot in nearly 20 countries. Many other international friends of mine also share similar feelings.

Certainly, if you ever have the fortunate opportunity to visit Germany, you will learn and appreciate the beauty not only from the landscapes but also from the pages of books flipped through everywhere, from subway stations to parks, cafes...

I also notice another 'beauty' among Western youth, a culture of open debate rather than contention, where the importance lies more in proving what is right rather than who is right.

This picture is clearly displayed during my time in Heidelberg (Germany) in September 2017, when the country was electing a chancellor, despite being quite politically knowledgeable and having a firm stance in defending votes for their party, young people always listened, acknowledged arguments from the 'opposing' side.

Yes, 'a day of traveling brings a basketful of learning', indeed.

According to Công Nhật/Tuổi trẻ

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour