We all have expectations in our lives; what we want out of life and who we want to become. I believe one of the keys to happiness lies within the management of your expectations towards people, situations or things. If you do not have expectations, you can never be disappointed. Sometimes we tend to believe that the way we treat others will be the way we are treated in return. But, unfortunately, this does not always happen. #life
Same goes with travels, you’ll find that not all vacations will go smoothly as planned. There are bound to be hiccups, unmet expectations, unexpected events and issues. While you cannot avoid all the unfortunate events, you can reduce the chances of spoiling your travel whenever things do not go as you have hoped.
“There are two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations.” — Jodi Picoult
Dealing with disappointment can be a huge challenge. Early of this year I was being surrounded and intimidated by a mob of angry taxi drivers in a middle of the night, who almost hit me and my Grab Driver because I’m using the private-hire car service instead their services. I started my Batam adventure late at noon because I’m still terrified to get around the Riau Island.
Instead remain unhappy and cranky, I chose to take it in the stride, embrace the “adventure” and make the most of it.
Expect the Unexpected
You might ask, “Don’t we all have expectations when traveling?” Sure. You expect for your hotel to be the same way it looked in pictures when you booked it. You expect to see that city’s landmarks and take the typical tourist picture. But it is my firm belief that you should not have expectations about how much fun you will have, how much you will love or hate wherever you are, or expect that your experience will be the same as someone else’s.
Before I even started writing for WheresFikri.com, people will ask about my experiences around a certain destination because I’ve been and they’re heading there soon. I love sharing my experiences – what to eat, drink, see and do. However, I am not a psychic, fortuneteller, nor am I certified destination tour guide. I can only share my experiences and make recommendations based on those experiences.
Your hopes and dreams being what you thought it was may be shattered instantly depending on your own experiences. Maybe you encountered rude locals or your train delayed for hours that you weren’t able to see as much places as you’d hoped. That’s life and poop happens. There is no way of guaranteeing similar experiences.
As soon as I threw my expectations out the window and started appreciating India for what it was, I realised I was having a great time.
Instead of being disappointed with an outcome, we really should be disappointed in our own unrealistic expectations. We can ask for things but we don’t always get them. When you adjust your expectations to fit reality, you are much less likely to experience disappointment. In time, it will become a rarer occurrence.
You don’t have to give up hope. We can still anticipate a good outcome, just be ready to be okay with “what is” and accept it. As the old Malay proverb goes by saying, “Sediakan payung sebelum hujan.”
