One Step At A Time
One thing I have really grown to appreciate and gravitate
Introduction
It’s one thing to love to travel, and it’s another to actually need it as a form of therapy. Or at least so I tell myself.
recently got to spend a weeklong holiday on the beautiful island of Barbados, and every part of it had been special- and wholesome.
Ukraine Meets The Caribbean Coast
It’s my second time in Barbados, and it just reminds me of Ukraine all over again and how I’d seize every opportunity I had to travel out of my city, Vinnytsia, and most times, it was to Kharkiv. The people closest to me knew me for that.
I also visited places like Bukovel, which is generally a holiday resort, especially in the winter months, when my friends and I visited.
Although Kharkiv was hours away, I would make the trip to and back multiple times a year. The excitement of the change of scenery coupled with the revitalizing feeling of escaping the redundancy of everyday life in a familiar environment was enough to sustain me for the journey, even if I had to travel alone- and if there’s one thing to know about me, it’s that I do not appreciate traveling alone.
It’s one of those things most of us normal people get to muscle through.
One travel tip I’ve learned over time is to build a family wherever I find myself. That’s definitely something that keeps me coming back. Safe to say, I found my Kharkiv in Barbados on my first-ever visit. Although I must give the disclaimer that nothing has topped my Ukraine experience so far, in any regard
3 Guides That Helped Me On My Solo Adventure
1. Safe Is A Good Option Too
Most times, when you think about a travel adventure, your thoughts are usually in line with a totally new place you’ve never been to. But there’s always something about vacationing at somewhere you’ve been to in the past.
This second trip to Barbados was special as it wasn’t just a ‘vacation’ trip. From the flight, at about 18,000ft up in the air, I was reminded of how small and even almost insignificant I am, how small we all are, especially in comparison with a larger scale.
I just couldn’t seem to shake off the thought of how massive the island appeared from that height and everything on it almost disappearing out of sight, reduced to only a tiny dot on a map in real-time. Now, thinking of the people inside these structures that are constructed big enough to hold anywhere from ten to thousands of people.
I felt safe even with all those thoughts coursing through my mind, because I knew I wasn’t going to unfamiliar grounds.
2. Less Is More
I arrived on a Saturday night and spent the next day indoors with a diary and a pen. The night before was stressful enough to even consider going anywhere.
I arrived Barbados quite late, and thankfully, a taxi was waiting already. Then it was time to locate the Airbnb I had rented. Didn’t realize how far St. Micheal was -from anywhere really. Thankfully, we arrived, and I got to meet beautiful Mathurine, my host. She was so warm and welcoming, and some guests even mistook us for mother and daughter, and normally, for things like that, I’m like, “Sure, why not.”
Just taking time out to reflect on different aspects of my life from the past months- the problems I faced, things I perceived as threats and why, wars fought, things lost, and victories won. I had held up so much that it felt like it was beginning to precipitate some anxiety in me, and I didn’t want that for myself. I then went on to make decisions on what was important to me and what things I’d be actively chasing going forward.
Then it was time to cool off. I went to the movies later that evening. The idea was to go out to get something to eat, but it was really late at the time, and so a friend suggested to go get food at the cinema. The movie was a great way to clear my head space.
3. Exploring
The next day Monday, was supposed to be my outdoor day, but I canceled at the last minute as something came up. However, we did go out to see a bit of the city.
I also had a day at the beach, which was very calming and soothing. The view from the Miami beach was breathtaking. The feel of the sand between my toes, the salty island breeze, the sound of the waves crashing at the seashore, even louder when there was a collision between waves moving in opposite directions, like thunder.
Barbados had a refreshing feel to it. Always a good idea to visit any time of the year if you’re looking past the heavy traffic. It’s almost like if there are ten people in one apartment, all ten of them own a car, crazy.
You might also enjoy