Journal Entry Three
I recently decided to do something spontaneous.
Something last-minute.
Something unlike me.
I decided to book a last-minute trip to Cambodia.
I was genuinely excited. This was my first time in Asia, my first time in Cambodia, and I couldn’t wait to see all that it had in store for me. While Africa is a place that has always pulled me in, trying new places will forever be part of my journey, too.
Everything fell into place so easily. I booked through an amazing travel agency. My flight was great, and I even slept on the plane. I landed, and the city was so nice. I checked into my hotel, and it was great and peaceful. I thought to myself, “This is going really well.”
On day two, I went into the jungle, and everything seemed to shift.
I was met with the worst noise I could possibly think of: cicadas. I’ve heard them before at home, but this was nothing like what I experienced before. It was so overstimulating. It was nonstop. It was so intense. It was too much.
In Cambodia, cicadas can produce sounds reaching 90-100 decibels and higher, and can even cause hearing damage.
My last few trips to Kenya and Triple Creek Ranch have been vast, wide-open spaces with peaceful sounds of nature that I’ve always adored soaking in. Places where I could breathe. This felt condensed, confined, and claustrophobic. It felt like nature was closing in on me, and I just couldn’t take it.
After that day, I was struggling to get reset. I tried meditating, I tried exploring other things, and nothing seemed to work. I ended up cutting my trip short.
While I could just call this trip a total loss, I’ve had time to think back on it, and it did teach me so much. If you’ve ever felt like this (in the presence of cicadas or not), this blog is for you. Sometimes, trying something new doesn’t turn out anything like you imagined, and getting reset afterwards is more difficult than it may seem.
Here’s my best advice on how to get yourself reset – before you reach your breaking point.
Let Yourself Feel It
I’ve heard a lot of creators say that when something doesn’t go as planned, you should pick yourself up quickly, shift your mindset, and “vibrate higher” to get back on track. And while that might work for some people, I’ve found that it doesn’t really work for me.
If you’re anything like me, trying to ignore the issue and move on in such a positive direction can only make it worse. It can feel like bypassing what your body and nervous system are actually trying to tell you. So instead of rushing myself to feel better, I gave myself permission to feel everything, and let this be your permission slip to do the same.
Feelings don’t just disappear. Let yourself cry. Let yourself be mad. Let yourself be and feel every feeling.
Let Your Body Rest
Overwhelming experiences don’t just live in your mind; they live in your body. And when your nervous system has been pushed into survival mode, rest is necessary.
When I came home, I didn’t jump back into routines or try to “snap out of it.” I slept. A lot. For nearly four days, actually. I didn’t unpack right away. I didn’t rush to be productive. I simply listened to what my body needed and gave myself permission to slow all the way down.
This is the most healing thing you can do for your body.
Give Yourself Space to Reflect
Journaling has always been my form of therapy, and this experience gave me a lot to sit with. What I learned most is that the environments we place ourselves in matter.
I am a highly sensitive person. I thrive with space, openness, and room to breathe. That doesn’t make me difficult, dramatic, or “too much.” It makes me self-aware. I’ve always said that traveling is a mirror; it tells you everything you need to know about yourself.
Instead of criticizing myself for what didn’t work on this trip, I analyzed it. Going forward, I’m not running away from crowded, overstimulating places out of fear. I’m intentionally running toward the environments that support my sense of peace. Resetting doesn’t always mean trying again. Sometimes it means choosing differently next time.
So, let this be your reminder.
Not every journey can be perfect.
Not every trip will be one you want ingrained in your memory.
But it will teach you more about yourself, and you can always find a lesson out of it.
