The Insecurity of the Highlight Reel

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The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.

One of my cousins posted this “truth” on her Facebook page today… and wow did it strike home.  I am both guilty of the insecurity and inspiring it when people see my Instagram & Facebook accounts of travel pictures.  I LOVE Travel. I have never felt more at home than the last year when I traveled full-time for a year in Europe and was house-less. I don’t post a lot of “selfie’s” … it’s just not my thing, but I tried to take my family and friends on the trip with me by posting a picture a day of the beautiful spots I was in. But of course, I posted the best. Unfortunately, this caused a lot of “I’m so jealous” emails, Facebook messages and comments. Quite honestly, the glib phrase was unsettling as I was on such a positive path traveling and after awhile the constant barrage of I’m jealous did not feel so great. I worked really hard and made sacrifices to travel full-time. Then as I thought about more, I laughed thinking of all the “behind-the-scenes” they did not see:

• Lugging luggage – despite how small you pack… you are still sweating and haulin’ it up train steps with Italian men yelling at you (German ones especially the ones in Lederhosen generally help) while being always a little confused if you are on the right one. Interesting reflection as the Italians are generally more warm in general than the Germans, except when it comes to being chivalrous with luggage.
• Rain when it’s cold outside – never pretty.
• How tired I was from walking all day up and down hills. You get somewhat used to it, but at first it was a definite change from American California drive everywhere style.  And bottom line, you are walking or moving a lot to get to all these places.
• The shoes that I wore a hole through in 2 months from all that walking. I actually wore down a few pairs.
• Getting lost despite having carefully saved maps and mapping out routes.  When you walk out of a subway station or rail station, you are always a little disoriented never having been there before.
• More confusion with language barriers. Hungary was tough!
• More confusion trying to figure out/translate instructions to various models of washing machines. Who knew there were so many ways to start/re-start a machine
• Some “very interesting” accommodations.  Don’t get me started on the hairdryers.
• The REALLY bad haircut I got in Ireland where one “chunk” of my hair was cut way too short.
• My day of depression having missed 4th of July in America… the only day I was bothered not being home.
• Being asked a million times if you are traveling alone – inspiring both praise and often concern.
• Jetlag…. and travel fatigue….

The summary is that Instagram and Facebook pictures are usually the BEST. They don’t capture the high’s and low’s of everything behind it.  Again and again, I would 100% sign up for every challenge, drawback, PITA moment that it takes to get those amazing memories that are captured in my pictures and all the amazing memories that I can’t even capture.  I LOVE Travel.  I think every traveler would agree but also know it takes a lot to get that Highlight Reel. Thoughts to ponder as you scroll though those Instagram Feeds and Facebook walls: Remember the “behind-the-scenes” and cheer the accomplishment instead of jealousy and insecurity. And if you still have a jealous thought, perhaps the remedy is taking a leap of faith to create your own Highlight Reel fueled by your passion…