The Mojo that comes with the Morning
How to recognize and vault over the big hurdle that can sabotage your solo adventure trip
A fellow I once knew in Seattle flew to India for what he had excitedly described to me as the “adventure of a lifetime.” He’d planned it out meticulously, saved up for it, and prior to the trip, talked about it incessantly.
But when he finally reached his first destination — an ashram in a remote town in the mountains — he panicked. Jet-lagged and sleep-deprived, fatigued from a 14-hour flight and 3-hour train ride, bewildered and overwhelmed by his new unfamiliar surroundings, he fell into a deep funk.
“I just felt so alone and isolated there,” he told me later. “I was drowning in anxiety. Not just about what might happen there, but about everything negative going on in my life. Relationships, money, negativity from the past — it was like a mental vomit.”
He was completely taken off guard, having expected to be exhilarated and deliriously happy at that point. Seeking an escape from these confusing emotions, and not realizing that if he would have just held on a bit longer they would have passed, he pulled the ripcord and headed home the very next day.
Long distance travel to exotic destinations can do that to people. In fact, it’s much more common than one might think, especially when traveling alone.
As a hotel manager in Panama and Honduras, I often saw it in arriving guests. Eyes flitting from side to side, perspiring despite the AC, an inordinate concern over minor details were all giveaways of the fight-or-flight struggle going on internally. Unfortunately, I saw some guests give up and head back to the airport the next day, foregoing the prepaid non-refundable week’s stay.
I understand and sympathize because I’ve experienced that same deep funk at the beginning of most of my solo adventures. But I’ve learned three secrets I’ll share with you below, that have helped me conquer that feeling and rescue my Adventure from the jaws of doubt. Knowing these three secrets can help you sail through the funk, shorten its duration and keep you from pushing that eject button.
1. Be aware that this dread may arise
Intense loneliness, angst, anxiety about things going on in your life, even deep disappointment in yourself and the life you’ve lived (really), may flood you. It may be overwhelming, like a panic attack. Don’t let it catch you off guard. Forewarned is forearmed. Be aware that these feelings are normal. There’s really nothing wrong with you or where you are. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have come, that this trip was a mistake, or that you’re not suited for this adventure.
2. Don’t act on it, and don’t veer off course
Don’t change your plans. Don’t flip out. Don’t push the eject button. Stay the course and for the time being, just go through the motions. Get to your hotel and try to get some sleep. Call home for support if you can. Go for a run, meditate, immerse yourself in a good book, or do whatever it is that helps you take the edge off. Just hang on through that first difficult night and day.
3. The Mojo that comes with the morning
Now here’s the big, happy takeaway: Everything will look better by that first (or at the most, second) morning.
This welcome transformation is the result of several factors. Perhaps most important is simply catching up on the basics. You’re less sleep-deprived, travel-fatigued, bloated and stiff from your long journey. Also, you’re getting familiar with your surroundings. You’ve had an opportunity for some crucial self-care — a run, meditation, a journal rant — or an encouraging phone call with someone back home and perhaps a few friendly encounters with the hotel receptionist or kind strangers. And for me, it’s that burst of optimism, emotional well-being and strength that comes with that first fresh cup of coffee.
Whatever combination it is for you, you will almost certainly feel better, stronger, relaxed and more ready to tackle the next big steps of your Adventure. So press on through the funk and wait for what will assuredly arise: The Mojo that Comes with the Morning.
