V is for Vulnerability- taking the plunge to travel

Hi globetrotters and welcome back to our weekly adventures. We will all have our own ideas about what is important when it comes to travel, all of which your GTG will attempt to cover over the course of time. This week we take a peek at something central to effective travel, the idea of being vulnerable and taking manageable risks.

Risk is part of daily life and by using the simple example of crossing the road or simply going outside it becomes clear the opportunities that taking an appropriate amount of risk can open up. In travel, risk is all a part of the deal from deciding whether or not to have that gorgeous looking satay skewer from a street stall to trusting a booking you made for your first night’s accommodation. With that in mind your GTG’s main concern is balancing that risk and sorting those that are a piece of cake to manage from those headed straight to the too-hard basket.

While it may be stating the obvious, each globetrotter will have their own level of comfort needed so assessing risk becomes a personal matter that will change with each individual. When it comes to adventure sports, the ropes to swing from and the planes to jump out of seem to get higher by the minute. This is clearly a picture of people on the lookout for a bigger and better adrenaline rush. In fact, whole destinations like Queenstown New Zealand base their appeal on this concept. Some crafty globetrotters have taken to zero-cost sports like free rock climbing which is definitely not something to try at home. It may go without saying but the freestyle option comes safety net not included so do take care if you feel like giving it a go.

Hitch-hiking is another trend that seems to be growing as quickly as facial hair and crochet vests. The direct pay off with this risk is the people you meet and the mystery journey ahead. Saving the cost of a bus or plane ticket is never a bad thing either. Especially in the case of solo female travelers, safety comes first and most up-to-date guide books will give you some good advice on how to look after yourself thumbs up.

Part of being vulnerable is being able to ask for help from either locals or other travelers when the time comes that we need it. Even simple things like asking for directions can be daunting but the risk of heading down a dodgy street could be slightly more dangerous in the end. Other choices like whether to take an unofficial taxi or gamble on waiting for a certified one can be more of  a judgment call.

The good news is most risk comes a simple action plan of how to manage that risk. When headed to a yellow fever zone, a jab of vaccine before heading off is your armour guard. For those with poor circulation, drinking extra water and taking your hourly strolls down the aisle on long distance flights are commonplace counter-hits to deep vein thrombosis. Just for the love of repetition, your guide book will take a wide look at risk associated with a destination and put you through your paces of preparation leaving you ready to go. Your travel agent may also be a help here for things like advice on how not to miss missing connecting flights.

When all is said and done, globetrotting does come with a certain amount of risk but doesn’t everything? Swarms of people travel daily and many seem to come out unscathed. Along the way there’s a thing or two you can do to look after yourself but the main point is always to get the most out of an experience and don’t let fear hold you back. Until next week.