When I started this blog my dream was for it to inspire, help and encourage others to do just what I had done. To say yes to the life they wanted, to take action rather than just follow the ‘one day’ or ‘what if’ syndrome. I am so utterly excited to be able to share with you a new feature on notwedordead.com - The Real Life Lonely Hearts Travel Club!
Since my adventure began I have met and been contacted by people from all over the world who have incredible tales of determination, of wild spirits bold enough not to be tamed by what others think or what society defines. They speak of catalysts that have led their lives to take very different paths to the one they maybe expected and that the overriding sense of happiness and pride at being brave, strong and curious to take risks and travel the world.
It actually brings my series of novels, ‘The Lonely Hearts Travel Club’, to life! In this series the heroine Georgia Green encounters a group of backpackers who change her life. I can only hope that by reading the inspirational words of these travellers you may feel just as inspired as I do. So, without further ado, let me pass over to the first member of the real life Lonely Hearts Travel Club, Lesh!
Details of how you can be involved are at the end of this post…
Lesh Zareba
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“There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.” – Julius Caesar.
I invite you to read those words and absorb them, because your life is now. Four years ago, I found myself contemplating these exact words after a lengthy relationship, which I thought would end in happily ever after, ended quite abruptly.
This was no average relationship mind you. The trajectory of it was similar to what you would have read in the pages of a Nicholas Sparks novel. We had met at a wedding abroad and although we were separated by distance for a large portion of the relationship, I found myself so in love that I skipped across an entire continent to be closer to this person rather than risk losing them.
I was trying to save the relationship…alone.
What I didn’t realise at the time was that I had enveloped myself around this individual and in so doing, I had not fully understood who Iwas as a human being. It wasn’t until I realised that all of the effort to keep the relationship alive was coming from myself that I forced a change.
I returned to England penniless and unemployed, not to mention ashamed that my gamble on this person had ended with such a cold, hard rejection I was sure would follow me around for years to come.
In all this frustration however, I recognized a freedom. Here was my chance to re-evaluate my life and focus on my own personal development.
The first plane ticket I purchased took me to Dublin, where upon my arrival, I found myself terrified that people who met me would judge me for travelling alone.
“They’ll think you’re weird,” I remember telling myself. No one travels alone or wanders off so aimlessly. Vacations are supposed to be taken with your partner or a group of friends. My mind was trying to convince me that this would be the worst week of my life.
Here’s the funny thing about fear though. You can either let it control your mindset or use it as an incredibly powerful tool to springboard you into life’s greatest adventures.
As it happens, that week in Dublin changed me for the better. I realised that travelling alone forces you out of your comfort zone. Whether my week was going to be a good one or a bad one depended entirely upon me going out, meeting people and enjoying the most of every single opportunity. The fear of regret really is one of the strongest tools in your emotional arsenal.
Since Dublin, I’ve visited and experienced the wonders of Paris, marveled at the glory of volunteering with children in Morocco, slept underneath the stars of the Sahara Desert, partied until 5am on the streets of Barcelona, celebrated New Year’s Eve in Amsterdam and, most recently, explored the intricate history of Rome. And these are not the extent of my travels, but simply the more recent ones.
Most importantly though, none of these experiences would have come from playing it safe in life. Sometimes we need to remember that the greatest story we can ever hope to write is the story of our own life. Since my breakup, I’ve experienced and learned more about myself than I ever hoped would be possible.
I am no longer the stranger standing in the back of the bar with a beer in his hand. Instead, I’m the spontaneous adventurer who is eager to introduce himself to new people and explore this amazing thing we call life.
- Lesh Zareba, 26, is from Nottingham, England. Next on his travel list is Venice (October) and Iceland (December). You can follow him on Instagram @leshzareba
Want to share your story and be part of the real-life Lonely Hearts Travel Club? Just fill in the form below and I’ll be in touch!
