Let’s start with ‘Can’t’

It is extraordinary, when you think about it, how many rules we set for our lives: Accepted truths about how life is and how we expect it to be, what we think we are capable of, and what we believe to be our limitations. From infancy we develop an understanding of ourselves and our environment as it is presented to us – from our own perceptions, from the feedback of others. Even throw-away comments made in the playground have a deep impact. It is these rules which keep us so deep in the ruts we find ourselves in.

I can’t count the number of times I've heard people say: “I’m rubbish at this”, “I can’t do that”, “oh that’s just the way I am”. Have you ever experienced the elation which comes from succeeding in something you had written off as something you just “can’t do”? What about ‘non-runners’ completing a marathon, ‘shy people’ pulling off a public speech, someone overcoming their fear of heights and abseiling down a wall… Just take a look at that person’s face, at their insane grin and dilated pupils – I bet you anything that at that particular moment, they believe they could accomplish anything. THAT’S what I’m talking about.

When we talk about skipping the country we don’t mean in a sneaky back-door short-cut-from-all-my-troubles sort of way, but in a bold, brave, life-embracing partition-wall-toppling, liberating sort of way.

In a new environment, with different influences and different people around you, you have a great opportunity to push yourself, break out of your comfort zone and achieve things you didn't believe you could – but find that you CAN.

That’s what skipping the country is all about.


Written by : Katie

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