The Scariest Thing I Ever Did Wasn’t Jumping Out of a Plane

The scariest thing I ever did wasn’t jumping out of a plane. It was getting on one. I was 20 when I travelled to Australia.

These days, travelling to Australia probably doesn’t sound like such a huge deal. But growing up where I did, it wasn’t something people around me did.

It felt like something other people did. People with more money. Different lives, more confidence.

So when I booked my ticket, my family threw me a leaving party because it felt like such a huge adventure.

And, looking back through old boxes recently, I found my diary and the letters my family had sent me while I was away.

I’d completely forgotten just how scared I was. Sometimes fear tells us what we shouldn’t do. Before I left, my mum wrote me a letter.

One sentence has stayed with me ever since:

“It’s better to try and fail than never try at all.”

I’ve carried those words with me ever since.

 

Facing Fear

Our first stop was Malaysia. I had never been to Asia before and I was terrified.

I worried about getting lost. I worried about not understanding people. I worried about being so far from home.

Now, Asia is my favourite part of the world and I actually love getting lost.

Funny how life changes. From Malaysia, we travelled to Australia.

I lived in a rooftop apartment in Sydney with 15 other people. I travelled with my friend, and we laughed, argued and made memories I’ll never forget.

I was supposed to work and travel. Let’s just say I did far more travelling than working! 😂

I also got homesick and came home after six months. For a long time, I thought coming home early meant I had failed.

Now I see it differently.

I was brave enough to go.

 

The Leap That Changed My Perspective

That trip changed much more than the stamps in my passport. It changed what I believed was possible.

And somewhere along the way, I even jumped out of a plane.

Funny enough, by that point, getting on the plane to Australia had been the hardest part.

That taught me something I’ve carried with me ever since: Sometimes the biggest leap isn’t the one everyone else can see.

We often look at someone else and see the big, brave decision they made. We don’t see the fear beforehand. We don’t see the doubts. We don’t see all the reasons they nearly didn’t do it.

Taking a leap doesn’t mean you’re not scared. It means you decide that fear doesn’t get to make the decision for you.

And sometimes, you take the leap and discover that the thing you were so frightened of becomes the thing that opens up your world.

My 20‑year‑old self couldn’t have known where that first journey would lead. She just had to get on the plane.

 

What’s one decision that felt scary at the time but changed your life for the better? 💜