What Happened When I Left the City Lights?(Solo Van Travelling)

This journey has been in my mind for such a long time. Every time I traveled with someone else, I sensed there was another type of journey I needed to experience. The trip would take me into the depths of learning new things about myself, tackling new challenges, and facing new kinds of fear. Finally, the day came when I said goodbye to the city lights and started this adventure alone.

It Teaches a lot about Yourself

Earlier I had always traveled with someone else. During those journeys, I always thought about what it would be like to be utterly alone in my thoughts. When you travel with someone, you can never be fully in the moment with yourself.

This journey I took now awaited the right moment. It has waited for the time when I would give it my all, and I could grow from the experience.
Even though I’ve now had more time to think, I have noticed that my thoughts have reduced in half.

When you’re in a new environment without addicting dopamines from different distractions, your thoughts can evolve into more in-depth quality thinking. With low effort, I have opened new lockers of my hidden mind and explored myself differently.

It Teaches You to Slow Down

I always need to do something when I’m in my city apartment. There is pressure to schedule my work and innovate new. Even in moments of relaxation, my mind wanders around the next task or activity. So it has been challenging to stay still without doing anything.

Traveling around Finland, ‘just a girl and the van,’ has taught me to become better at doing nothing. Instead, finding a beautiful spot and staring at endless forests and lake views for hours has become my new hobby. I’ve started to see a huge difference at my slowed pace.

I’ve become consciously aware of doing only a few daily things and doing them slowly. My morning routine with easy movement, breakfast, and cleaning has extended to three hours with complete enjoyment. Fast pulse and heartbeat have turned into enjoying every tiny action I do, being conscious in the moment.

You Become one with Nature and Spirituality

When I started this retreat, my focus was on strengthening my spirituality and connecting with nature. Sometimes, even though I don’t keep a hectic schedule as an entrepreneur, I feel overwhelmed when I’m in the city. So escaping to nature has been my reserve for gaining strength, yet nearby the town, there are always people and noise around you.

Being surrounded by nature alone opens up a magical experience. Only opening the van door, and you have a new world to explore and listen. Going for a run, swimming in the most transparent waters you can imagine, and gathering blueberries and mushrooms make you feel like living a fairy tale.

I believe that the closer we humans are to nature, the happier we become. Everything that can bring us true satisfaction is free; it is before our eyes if we take our blinders off. Then, when the hustle is gone, you can concentrate more on building your inner strength, cleaning your mind from toxic distractions, and becoming more attached to your true purpose.

You Need to Face Your Fears

I had many fears about having this road trip. Driving this massive van with all technical equipment and sleeping alone in the middle of nowhere. Many of my worries have come true. However, they have not been as scary as I pictured them in my mind.

When you start a journey like this, you need to accept that difficulties emerge, but you can tackle them individually. I think everyone should have a trip like this at least once in their life. When you get all the time to explore yourself and the world in a different light, new opportunities, emotions, and thoughts will open up to you.

My greatest fear was sleeping alone in the middle of the forest. The night came when I went to bed, listened to the birds chirping, and stared at the light from the roof window. I fell asleep smiling because I knew this bitch would survive anything. Don’t be afraid to take yourself out of your comfort zone; you can have the most extraordinary adventure of your life to experience.

With love,
Jenna

Founder of Thejennablog, Author of ‘The Scammer’s Trap’

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