If I told you the most remarkable memory I had in Paris was having my phone stolen from an Uber-Eats driver, you might think I’m crazy.
But what if I told you I witnessed the thief-catching process and got my phone back after a long, turbulent cop car ride? Now things get interesting. Let me explain how one misfortune redefined my purpose of travel and how travel inspired me to make a life-changing decision.
1. Discomfort Is A Good Thing
“The purpose of life, as far as I can tell… is to find a mode of being that’s so meaningful that the fact that life is suffering is no longer relevant.” — Jordan Peterson
Traveling is not always about relaxing. Sometimes, it takes you on a chaotic, anxiety-driven ride. The good thing is, taking part in such crazy scenarios could be a blessing in disguise.
Did I lose my phone and spend five hours with the police? Yes. Did I have fun? Hell yeah. How many tourists get to explore Paris through a hop-on-hop-off cop car ride? Furthermore, this experience left me with a story I can tell for the rest of my life.
See, once you start to appreciate the unpleasant, challenging parts of life, you will noticeably feel more grounded and emotionally stable.
Here is an example of why discomfort can be a good thing. Imagine yourself watching a movie. If the director cut out the nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat scenes, would you still watch it? Probably not. The reason is that we don’t consider predictable actions as interesting or worth watching. A plot without uncertainty and ambivalence would be dull and lethargic.
If life were a movie, it wouldn’t fall under the category of romance-comedy or science-fiction. Instead, it would be an adventure with a touch of drama.
We can’t always anticipate what is coming next. However, this is what makes life interesting. Throughout our journey, we find solutions to problems by exploring the unknown. The whole process of taking on risks and overcoming obstacles is essential for conquering reality. Be a good director and leave the thrilling scenes uncut.
2. Travel For Education
French people sometimes have the infamous reputation of being rude, cold, and arrogant…you name it. Want to visit France? Then be ready to be annoyed and mistreated and learn French because locals refuse to speak English.
However, it is never sufficient to be informed by relatives or mainstream media. Thanks to the Uber-Driver thief, I realized how twisted, and wrongful some impressions were.
The thief was extraordinarily skillful and sneaky. I had no idea that somebody just reached their hand in my pocket and grabbed my phone.
It was the sales associate lady who alerted me by screaming, “Madame, your phone! Help! Security!” The security guard ran outside as fast as he could. He was the one who detected the thief and noticed his green Uber-Eats bag.
More importantly, a wealthy French couple on the street witnessed the whole incident. Without hesitation, the husband called the local police department and gave me directions on what to do.
Subsequently, it was the police officer who promptly took action. He had a clear vision and took his responsibilities seriously. Moreover, he deployed his colleagues to protect me while we were in the process of capturing the thief.
Overall, the so-called rude Parisians showed genuine concern and comforted me when I was on the verge of crying. They spoke proper English and offered acts of kindness to a stranger without being asked. It’s a culture shock but in a surprisingly pleasant way.
Misconceptions is an underrated social and cultural issue. Many people have silly assumptions about a country due to their lack of knowledge. If we want to eliminate wrongful impressions, it is crucial to educate ourselves on unfamiliar topics.
Instead of making judgments based on random, arbitrary sources, start discovering the truth yourself. There are many ways of self-education. If you don’t enjoy reading books or watching documentaries, consider travel. It’s one of the best ways to become more open-minded and gain knowledge of a foreign culture. Remember to stay curious. Ignorance is the enemy of progress.
3. Don’t Be Afraid To Fail; Be Afraid Not To Try
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill
The police officer invested a tremendous amount of time and energy in tracking down my phone. The surprising fact is that he knew the chances of finding it are beyond low. As he told me, the same kind of incident happened just the day before. They even followed the thief to the suburbs of Paris. However, the thief turned off the phone’s location tracking system, and the mission became a fail.
Later at the police station, I asked the officer why he invested such an effort right after undergoing something so discouraging. Not forget to mention that pickpocket is a regular occasion in Paris.
His response was: “I think the experience we had yesterday was rather motivating. It makes me want to put in even more effort. I might not be discouraged by this kind of failure, but I would be scared of not doing enough when there is the slightest chance of success.”
That hit home. It is true that when things get stressful, we immediately shut ourselves off from the vast possibilities of the world. We love to use self-sabotaging behavior as a defense mechanism to avoid danger and uncomfortable feelings.
But as I said before, discomfort is not scary; it’s a learning opportunity. Failure should not be the reason for you to stop trying. You need to be persistent to see unexpected results. Therefore, never dispute your potential because of past miscalculation.
4. Travel For Self-Discovery
I went to Paris in February, right before COVID-19 became a global pandemic. At that time, I was a confused 21-year old who just dropped her social sciences degree. I spent one month traveling around, trying to figure out the next chapter in my life.
Here is what I learned after a short period of doubt and uncertainty: Travel has the power of giving you a better vision of what truly drives you. It makes you more aware of your values and choices. In my case, I realized which kind of environment attracts me and what I am passionate about — which is great-tasting food and chic-looking cocktails.
After returning home, I rewatched Pixar’s Ratatouille, mostly because I missed the French food scene. And as our friend Remy says, “What better place to dream than in Paris?”
Believe it or not, I decided to move to Paris this fall and study business management of culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu. I will learn more about French culinary history, high-end cuisines, and the food & beverage industry’s operation. I can feel the excitement and energy flowing through my body just by talking about it.
Travel allows us to be curious and courageous; it motivates you to pursue something that once seemed out of reach. I might not have made this decision if I have never been to Paris and see it for myself. But after my crazy adventure, the French people have gained my respect, and I want to learn more about their culture.
Remember that travel is never a solution to our problems. You can’t escape reality by going to another country. What traveling can do is to rewire our brain and give us a fresh perspective of life. It is an excellent resource for inspiration, where you discover undetected qualities of yourself and others.
5. Self-Reflection Is The Key To Motivation
“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” — Søren Kierkegaard
We live in a fast-pacing world, where ideas are changing rapidly. Our mind is easily distracted by trivial opinions and confusing concepts. It’s so easy to have a mental breakdown nowadays. If you want to prevent this kind of frustration, you need to stay authentic with yourself and recognize the warning signs.
In my third semester of uni, I had a minor burn-out. Whenever other students talked passionately about their projects, I felt miserable. They were genuinely excited about their studies while I was pretending. However, I never took these feelings seriously, and that’s a problem. Thinking that “it’s just a phase” didn’t help. Only three months later, I was drained and felt more and more disconnected from myself. At this point, I realized I need to re-evaluate my decisions.
If you are ever in a rut, take some time to reflect on yourself. Don’t jump into a decision just because you have to. Most of the time, these decisions will backfire.
I went to university with the thought that I had no other choice. I was a typical, studious Asian girl who did well in high school, so college is my only option — the perfect epitome of self-sabotaging myself from doing something great.
If you want to have a fulfilling experience, you need to do proper research. More importantly, you have to know what suits your personality and goals best in the long run. This is why we need self-reflection, which is also the key to self-awareness: it allows us to look neutrally at our thoughts, emotions, and actions. We regain clarity, strength, and motivation by being self-aware. This process is crucial for making mindful decisions.
After deep-diving into my past, I sorted the new ideas I collected during travel. Finally, I feel more confident and assured to move on to the next chapter and start a new journey. I am still 21 years old, but not as confused anymore.
Believe me that motivation has always existed within you. It might require some rest now and then, but if you start practicing self-reflection, the energy you once had will come back to you.
What You Need To Take Away
- Life can be annoying sometimes, especially when you are trying to have a good time. The good news is that you can stay unbothered, once you see things from another perspective. Practice on overcoming discomfort, rather than avoiding it.
- Travel to a foreign place — not for enjoyment, but discovery and education. Before you judge a culture, get to them first. While you interact with the unknown, you get to know more about yourself. You will see what you possess and what you lack. In the end, you learn, and you grow.
- If you feel stuck in life and can’t decide on what to do next, do more research on your options and explore them if possible. After you’ve got a taste of the unknown, start aligning your past with your present self, and be aware of how specific experiences made you feel. This is how you make mindful decisions and turn ideas into action. Sometimes, you have to look back to move forward.
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