Life lessons from solo travels with hearing loss

Published by Editorial Staff at March 5, 2019

Mario Afonso decided to leave the comforts of his reality to explore a world larger than him and his experiences.

He set off to complete his first solo travels with hearing loss with the goal to stop feeling limited by other people and learn more about himself.

Mario was born with a hearing loss, but didn’t start wearing hearing aids until he was two years old.

Mario benefitted from his Phonak Naida III UP hearing aids while traveling. It helped him fully experience the places he visited and create lifelong memories.

To document his experience Mario made a video to explain to others the thoughts, feelings, and realizations he had while traveling.

He describes how he felt before he went on his trip and how it changed once he began to travel.

“Before I started this trip, I was scared, confused and anxious, ” he says. “At the same time, I was excited, because I wanted to leave my small world. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and face my fears. I also wanted to stop feeling limited by other people.”

Mario also says in his video that being outside of his comfort zone gave him the courage to open up more, speak more and discover his true self.

“At the beginning of my trip alone, I thought that the world does not just spin around me,” he admits. “That the world is not just about the place where I live. That there is more life out there and not only my small world.”

“That there is more life out there and not only my small world.”

Although there were hearing loss related obstacles while traveling such as understanding others when asking for help, Mario encourages anyone with hearing loss to set out and go outside of your comfort zone.

“Do it, face your fears, obstacles, and don’t worry too much because there will be times you won’t understand others perfectly,” he says. “So let the moment flow and keep going.”

Not only did traveling him Mario get out of his comfort zone, but it also left him with a great story to tell.

“As even Battuta said, ‘Traveling. It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.'” Mario says.

He will be out exploring his own country, Portugal in the summer. Stay tuned!