The feeling of not fitting in and wanting to discover

Something is brewing in me…

I’ve always felt a strong urge to journey to the farthest corners of the world, meet the cultures which I am sure will give me the biggest culture shocks, to normalize the feeling of not quite fitting in, and to find comfort in that discomfort..

I get that. Not just traveling, but seeking out the edges of your comfort zone. Why is that specific feeling so important to you?

Not fitting in, and the comfort solo travel gives with that

I think. I want to understand the feeling of not quite fitting in. In my day-to-day life, I spend so much time trying to blend in, to feel settled. But when I travel, especially solo and deep, that feeling of being an outsider is constant.

You pay closer to attention

I want to find comfort in that discomfort. When everything around you is unfamiliar—the language, the food, the customs—you stop trying to be the person you were back home. You just… are. You’re forced to pay closer attention.

Being changed by the experience of standing in an unknown place

That’s a beautiful way to look at it. It’s not about escaping; it’s about a more intense, authentic way of experiencing the present. Trading the security of familiarity for the richness of the unknown. The goal isn’t just seeing landmarks. It’s about being thoroughly changed by the experience of standing in a place where your frame of reference is useless. That’s where the real learning happens.