Hi everyone! Welcome back to another week of my Travel Blogging Challenge. It feels like it was ages ago since I’ve written my first challenge response. So much has changed since then. Funny how time flies, yet can still be devastatingly slow, huh?

This week’s challenge theme: Confessions. Regrets.

I have many, many things to confess.

I have always tried to live my life as if it were my last days. I want to do things as soon as possible, but with these impulses comes dire consequences.

I guess it must be something in my personality, I often look back. Wistfully replaying events in my life in nostalgia, wondering what would happen if I had done things differently, whether there are things in my life that I regret.

Time and time again, these are oversights I find myself making…

My Oversights

Not being in the moment

I always look ahead. It is my both strength and my weakness. I don’t wallow in my mistakes yesterday if I know there’s nothing I can do to change it. However, I always find myself eager and worried for tomorrow and whether everything will go smoothly.

To relate, studying abroad in Singapore was such a big and fun part of my life. Between all the tests, studying, presentations, the semester had passed by in a wink of an eye.

Today, I look back and saw that I participated in many clubs/events, studied abroad, made lots of friends, but it passed by with all the fretting that I did over my curriculum.

You may have seen in my previous post, I am not a huge fan of the constant dead zombie glowed faces from browsing cell phones. I am also guilty of being reliant on technology. Though I am pretty good about self control with social media, because I work online and I keep track of my travel photos, it’s quite difficult to stop myself from using the net. Only when I got my phone and wallet stolen did I finally realize how dependent I was.

Impatience

This is perhaps one of my biggest flaw while traveling.

Once I have a thought planted in my head, I take immediate action– sometimes recklessly so. I am haunted by the fear of waiting- and then losing the opportunity.

I don’t give enough time to people and places. I’m always anxious to move forward, failing to realize that the now is what makes me happy.

I fail to realize that not everything works out while traveling.

Cultural and Environmental Impact

Looking back, I am appalled at my own ignorance while traveling.

In my first years, I never took the time to research the cultural and environmental impact of the actions I’m taking. Animals are endangered because of ignorant tourists. Locals’ livelihood are affected by my actions. 

Moreover, I’ve never taken ample time to research the history of places I visit. What struggles they’ve been through, what their culture is like.

Though I’m not doing anything to harm the citizens, I’m not taking enough measures to ensure I’m leaving a green footprint behind. Leaving it a better place.

Luckily,

I made it through and, as always, learned important lessons that help make me a better, more conscientious person. Though I’m not any more perfect today, I am much more aware of my actions and what I can do make myself a better traveler. 

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Are there things in your life, decisions, choices, paths that you felt could have been done better?

Thanks for reading! This is a response to the 21 Weeks of Travel Blogging Challenge!

Here are some other posts you might like:

• My Inspirations for Traveling
• Top Three Cultural Foods
• 8 Ways to Travel the United States Cheaply and Comfortably

Read more of my posts from the Travel Blogging Challenge:

Week 1:  A favorite travel photo of you and intro
Week 2: Little known travel tips
Week 3: Funny travel story
Week 4: Travel Misadventures
Week 5: Top Three Cultural Foods
Week 6: Unusual Travel Activities/Photos
Week 7: Inspiration for Traveling
Week 8: My Five Favorite Travel Blogs
Week 9: Gross/Disgusting Travel Stories
Week 10: The Most Unforgettable Adventures!
Week 11: What’s in my bag?
Week 12: Happy and sad travel stories
Week 13: Unique cultures encountered
Week 14: Top three favorite destinations
Week 15: Travel regrets
Week 16: Scary and cool travel stories
Week 17: Things to purge
Week 18: Humbling things learned from traveling

These awesome people are also doing the challenge!!! Click to see their stories!

• In the Wild LA – Julie
• Journey Through the Trees – Victoria
• Trouvaille, Mon Cher – Aly
• Simply Kailin – Emily

Interested in participating in the Weekly Travel Blogging Challenge? Feel free to make your own today!