Why is living and travelling abroad so good for your confidence?
I’m not a life coach, nor do I intend to be. This is just my experience; if you can relate to it, then great. If not, I just hope you enjoy the read.
Self-confidence has been a persistent problem throughout my life. From a young age, I felt inadequate next to others in almost every respect. But living overseas has taught me so much about myself and continues to help me realise my worth. Maybe it could help you, as well. Read on to see how.
You say you want courage, but you’ve had it all along.
In an accidental Wizard of Oz style, I, the Cowardly Lion, have realised how much courage I possess. I’ve had moments on the road where I felt like my life and ambitions were in ruins. I’ve felt complete and utter despair. Certain events while travelling caused me deep depression, anxiety, paranoia, and inertia. Some things have also shattered my trust.
Sometimes, nothing makes it feel better. However, moving on and accepting things as they are has empowered me and shown me my courageous spirit. Maybe it can do the same for you.
When things cause me discomfort and nervousness, I sometimes still doubt myself. I have considerable room for improvement. But now, I’m better at digging deep and reassuring myself that everything will be alright. This has allowed me to trump my low confidence. If you’re sitting at home thinking that you don’t have it in you, paradoxically, it might be one of the best things you ever do.
As I have become more courageous, my sense of confidence is under less duress. It is slowly but surely beginning to grow, too. I hope this illustrates that you can undergo personal growth by travelling and living overseas. For those who have no inclination to travel, I hope you can also benefit from this.
When the tornado hits, you can fly with it, follow the yellow brick road and keep your self-doubt at bay. Ding Dong, the wicked witch, is dead. Why would you click the heels of your red slippers and go home? I mean, come on, Dorothy, this is awesome.
1. New and Fun Challenges
-Learning New Languages
According to National Geographic, learning a language can reduce the impact of diseases like dementia by helping to slow down the effects of ageing in the brain. This is just one of many reasons to learn another language. It can provide cultural insights. You can learn to converse with locals, gain their admiration and respect, and receive invitations to eye-opening cultural occasions.
Moreover, you don’t need to be good. Most people appreciate that you tried to speak their mother tongue in their home nation.
In learning a new language, you can practice with people with the same enthusiasm for expanding their linguistic horizons. You can do it in a classroom or online; networking opportunities remain unaffected.
Learning a language is hard. There is no sugarcoating the experience. However, there are ways to expedite the process, even though some languages are trickier than others. Anyone who tells you it’s easy is probably doing so out of egoism and bravado. Language learning can often leave you feeling a little overwhelmed. If you’re anything like me, it might cause you to question whether you can do it. But sticking it out grants access to an oasis of accomplishment and self-belief. Having learnt Spanish as an adult, I often reflect that I never knew how much I could do before. It felt like a triumph.
So, if you feel you’ve really mastered a new language, I offer you my most sincere congratulations. I also give those same congratulations to anyone just getting started. It is a challenging path towards broadening your mind and prospects. I salute you all.
2. Trying New Foods
Dabbling in new cuisines shows a willingness to do everything possible to keep one’s mind open to new experiences. That is bound to give one some sense of confidence.
Not all the food and drink on your travels will leave your tastebuds in awe. Some of the things you try will be repulsive. You may be cursed with horrible memories of certain delicacies. But this is a burden worth carrying. It provides some excellent and amusing anecdotes to reel off at your convenience among friends. It reminds you not to let anything dampen your spirits, especially not dreadful food and drink. So whether it be Mexican street Tacos or a cow’s udder, there are lessons to be learned.
Most importantly, it’s a way to please locals. You can see the gleeful smiles of foreign food vendors (of any type) as you demonstrate your approbation. You might see just how good being willing to try new things can make people feel, too. You may realise your ability to bring joy to others with simple acts of curiosity.
3. Experiencing New Cultures
Of course, the willingness to try new and often bizarre cooking and learn new languages (as seen above) heavily overlaps with this, but culture spans beyond food and linguistics. Watching performances of traditional dance, music, theatre, and any other creative medium is a great way to gain insight into the cultural fabric of the places you visit. If you want to learn about the history and tradition of any of these things, then great. But if not, you can still enjoy some light-hearted entertainment and see what the local people hold dear and call their own. They say knowledge is power. Whether this is true is not for me to say. It certainly helps you to be more outgoing and to find common ground with locals, though.
But to continue, putting yourself in interactive social situations is one of the most fun and enlightening ways to experience a new culture. These can range from hazy nights with copious amounts of alcohol in bars to dances in plazas, and squares scored with local instruments. By doing this, you gain insight into how people live and spend their leisure time. The astute observer can also begin to get a feel for behavioural norms, such as etiquette, manners, the meaning of physical gestures, and facial expressions.
Doing this can decrease the margin for misunderstandings and keep you out of trouble. For example, when Vietnamese people don’t know the answer to a question or dilemma, they often shake their hand at you. People in the UK would do this to bat away people they deemed a nuisance. However, this is just the Vietnamese way of clarifying that they can’t help you. Furthermore, if you were to greet a Vietnamese woman with a Latino-style touch of the cheeks and the sound of a kiss, you could land yourself in trouble.
Try to learn a bit about the culture, not only to avoid problems but also to give yourself a sense of confidence through your chameleon-like adaptability.
Final thoughts
Remember that some people need all the confidence they can get. Congratulating yourself and celebrating these feats does not have to be done out loud, nor does it have to be in front of others. These small victories can be enjoyed quietly. They do no harm that way, least of all to you.
I hope this article was enjoyable and/or helpful for all who have read it. Thank you.
Earth Life Writer 
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