Lettie Goes Travelling

Do you remember the first time you drove a car after passing your driving test?

Sweaty palms.

Racing heart.

Super alert and slightly wired.

Sound familiar?

And now you probably just jump in the car without thinking about it.

As with a lot of things in life, the more often you do something, the more comfortable you become, and the more confident you feel.

Travel is no different — whether that’s flying around the world or simply trying to navigate Bank Tube station.

Those first few trips, though, can definitely come with the sweaty palms and racing heart. They certainly did for me.

Getting on a plane didn’t magically make me a confident traveller. Quite the opposite. On my first couple of trips I was second-guessing everything.

Having the safety net of family and friends at the other end definitely helped lower the anxiety.

But even so, that first trip away was a big step.

In a previous life I was the person doing the weight and balance calculations for departing aircraft, liaising with cabin crew, discussing fuelling requirements with the flight deck, and — in the pre-9/11 days — often flying on the jump seat in the cockpit.

And yet there I was, checking my passport every five minutes and running to the loo with a slightly dicky tummy.

Life events change you.

But I knew that if I wanted to enjoy the next chapter of my life, I had to get back on the metaphorical horse.

And with every trip I learned a little more.

About travelling in a digital age.

About new destinations and cultures.

And most importantly, about myself.

The biggest lessons weren’t delivered in the picture-perfect moments.

They came in the moments when things wobbled slightly. When something didn’t quite go to plan.

Those were the moments when I slowly realised:

I had this.

I had enough tools in my travel toolkit to deal with most things that came my way. And if I really needed help, I had people I could call for advice or a second opinion.

Now I’m the person helping tourists navigate Bank Tube station.

And yes, my heart still races when we accelerate down the runway.

But now it’s not nerves.

It’s excitement