I found myself on the last night of my trip to Portugal, sitting in a room of friends that just 7 days ago were complete strangers. Our eyes filled with tears as we laughed and cried, sharing with each other how much this experience and our new friendships meant to each of us.

This was a far cry from how I was feeling 7 days before – anxiety-ridden about traveling alone for the first time, nervous about not knowing anyone, and uncertain about what the week would hold. This was my first experience vacationing “solo” with a group, through a company my friend recommended called Flash Pack.

I have always loved to travel, but the older I got, the quicker I lost travel friends. Marriages, children, little or unaligned vacation times, and more caused me to have a hard time finding people to travel with. When I turned 40 this past summer, I had a thought; I could either sit around and continue waiting for a friend or family member to be available to travel or a man that I could travel with, or I could just go. Though the thought of traveling solo made me extremely anxious, the one thing greater than that was my desire to travel and see the world. So, off I went. 

During one of our travel days in Portugal, in one of the many conversations with my new friends, one of them shared that they had been more excited about meeting new people and making new friends on this trip than they were about the itinerary. Portugal just offered a beautiful backdrop to the experience.

When you return from a vacation, one of the first things people ask you is, what was your favorite part? Whenever I’m asked that question about my trip to Portugal, I always take the same pause, and then smile. The people. The surfing. The 4 x 4 experience. The sunset yoga. The winery. The cooking class. The laughter. The stories. The friendships. And I soon realize, I’ve recapped the entire trip. 

I felt more myself, my true authentic self, on this trip, than I had in an extremely long time. My soul was shining. I learned a lot about myself on this trip, not the least of which was that if you’re willing to allow yourself to be uncomfortable and experience new things, there is a beautiful world out there waiting to be your guide.

So if you find yourself at a crossroads and debating what to do next…

Be willing to take a chance. Be willing to be brave and experience the unknown. Be willing to let go of what you thought it would look like and accept the beauty of the true picture being painted. Be willing to put yourself out there, to take a chance, to see the world, to meet people your paths would have never crossed with otherwise, to make incredible memories that will last a lifetime. Be willing to laugh among strangers who will quickly become friends. Be willing to put yourself in positions that make you uncomfortable, that make you grow. That will make you challenge the limits that you’ve set on yourself.  Be willing to thrive and flourish into your absolute best self.