It was April. I was in northern Thailand, knee-deep in writing our travel guidebook to Thailand for Go! Girl Guides, and I was breaking up.. badly.
Have you ever gone through a break-up that was so large and messy it literally stopped you dead in your tracks and left you unable to do really anything for a couple of days?
Yep, that’s where I was as we pulled into a bus station in Chiang Mai, preparing to cover Songkran, the Thai New Year festival that has become known as the world’s biggest water fight. Was I particularly pumped to get out on the streets and be doused in iced cold water? Nope. At that time, a tub of chocolate ice cream and some rom-com sounded way more appealing. But then I shifted my thinking.
As we suited up to hit the streets, and I wiped the tears from my eyes yet again, I started thinking about the meaning of Songkran, and hoped that the water thrown on me would indeed wash away all of the bad of the past year, and bathe me clean so that I was open for what was to come.
So that’s how I took it… an emotional baptism, if you will.
At least at first. Then I just got crazy. I quickly realized:
There’s literally no possible way to feel sorry for yourself when every man, woman and child in sight is gunning to squirt you, throw flour on you, dump ice cold buckets of water on you, or toss you into a rat-filled moat.
I had never before had to go through a painful breakup while traveling, and I hope I never have to again. It’s so hard to stay in the moment and be aware of your surroundings when your heart is someplace else.
I think the key is to shift your thinking and force yourself to be present in where you are in the world. You may just find that traveling helps you to get over it faster than you would’ve elsewhere. Soak up the new sights, sounds and smells. Wander around the markets. Get lost in all of the museums and sit in a park you’ve never been to writing in your journal.
Just being out in the world somewhere new will make you feel a hell of a lot more powerful and badass than the loser you’re crying about. Just sayin’.
We’re going to be talking about this and more this week at Go! Girl Guides. On Wednesday, Nov. 2, be sure to check out our Top 3 Places to Mend a Broken Heart. We’ve even included a museum dedicated to broken relationships!
