catch flights, not feelings BY NZINGHA FLORENCE
A
s I am entering my 20th year on this earth, a valuable lesson I have learned is that traveling is one of the best ways to get over a broken heart. I recently took a trip to Manhattan, New York with a group of friends and came back more self-aware and confident than ever. For the first time in a long time, I knew exactly what I wanted and how I wanted to live my life, regardless of what had happened in the past. With each new experience, I was given more clarity that I could never settle for less than what I deserve again. I know you’re wondering how a four day trip to SoHo and Times Square could have given me this much enlightenment, but it wasn’t about the location or amount of time. It was about the emotion I felt being utterly and completely focused on myself and doing things for me, nobody else. An inexplicable joy is produced when you’re exploring a new place, almost like a dopamine rush. With each new food eaten and trendy clothing item bought, you start to think wow, maybe life doesn’t suck so much all the time. I have come to the conclusion that traveling is a form of self-love, and here’s why. First and foremost, the generation before us has instilled this idea that millennials and gen-Z babies need to be married, with our first kid on the way by the time we’re 26. It also doesn’t help that social media shoves beautiful relationships down our throats, making us single people wish we were them. Everything in society is centered around sex, love, and money. Therefore, when we don’t have one, we crave the other to fill the void. I’m here to tell you that your end all be all goal in life should not be finding the perfect relationship or marriage even, especially during your 20s. Your 20s are the prime time to make mistakes and learn more about yourself, not dedicate your entire existence to finding love. We put so much pressure on ourselves based on this cultural formality that if we’re single, we’re obviously lonely. That, my friends, is a lie.
THE SQUEEZE
My approach on being single is that it’s a time to not only fall more in love with yourself, but discover new passions, cultivate stronger friendships, and travel, travel, travel. Think about it this way, the world could end at any moment based on today’s political and environmental climate. Why waste precious time in an unhealthy relationship or lamenting over your ex when you could be booking a flight to Bali or Barcelona? I’m not saying that heartbreak is easy, it’s going to be very, very hard. But what I am saying is to focus on what you can control after a failed romantic situation: your attitude, your paycheck, and the love you have for yourself. There’s always this pressure that we’ll mess up or it’s never the right time, but that’s just fear hindering us from living our best lives. If you’re thinking about taking that trip, do it! If the money’s not there, be patient and wait until you do have the resources to make that move. But I strongly encourage that you dedicate this year to yourself and travel somewhere you’ve never been before. It doesn’t even have to be somewhere as extravagant as Greece or Thailand, it could be the next state over. Stop and ask yourself, “What’s holding me back?” Is it fear of the unknown? A relationship? Your disbelief that you can make it happen? Nothing worthwhile has ever come without risk, so you might as well take that leap of faith. This is why I advise you to catch flights rather than catch feelings. Take the time out to explore the world and more importantly, explore yourself. HERE ARE 5 APPS THAT CAN HELP YOU FIND THE CHEAPEST FLIGHTS 1. HOPPER 2. SKYSCANNER 3. KIWI 4. MOMONDO 5. SKIPLAGGED
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