Five Life Lessons Travel Has Taught Me
Touring the world, or your favourite country at the very least, is an experience we should all undertake at some point in our lives. So, in order to have the best time possible, always keep in mind our complete set of life lessons that travel can teach.
Efficient Packing
If you’re backpacking from destination to destination whilst travelling, an efficiently-packed backpack will really do wonders for your organisation. The last thing you’ll need when boarding a ferry or checking into a hotel is not knowing where your documentation is, and this is why bum bags or fanny packs are a great way to keep your essentials close to you.
Having an alternative pair of footwear at or near the top of your backpack, as well as a fresh pair of socks, is another way to save you emptying out the contents of your bag. Whether you’re sitting on a flight or trekking through a jungle, there’s no doubt that your feet will swell, so make things easy on yourself and pack your backpack with the most common necessities in mind for your next destination.
Stop Comparing
One of the worst things you can do whilst travelling is compare each destination to the last, or to your other travelling experiences. The only way to get the most out of your adventure is to treat every place you visit as a new and undiscovered part of yourself; this way, you’ll be expanding your cultural experiences as well as learning more about yourself whilst travelling. No two places are the same, so don’t try to compare destinations.
Do What Makes You Happy
No matter how long you go travelling for, nothing lasts forever and it will sadly be over before you know it. Regrets are the worst memories to have when returning home from travelling, so make sure you don’t have any by doing what makes you happy while you’re there!
You may have read all the guides and chatted with friends about the best places and excursions to experience. But at the end of the day, you’re the one doing the travelling so it is important to make sure that you’re experiencing the places and activities that interest you, and not following in your friends’ footsteps.
Roll with the Punches
If you embark on your adventure with the view that everything will just ‘fall into place’ while travelling, you’ll be in for a shock. It is actually quite the opposite in fact; travelling is only what you make it, and if you expect all of the world’s wonders to simply fall at your feet, you’ll be waiting a long time.
Rolling with the punches is one of the fundamental parts of travelling, and during your journey you’ll face disappointment in some form or another. No matter how much you plan and prepare
before you depart, there will no doubt be instances out of your control that will halt your plans. However it’s how you deal with these ‘interruptions’ that will define your travelling experience.
Seize Opportunity, Don’t Wait For It!
Tying in nicely with the previous two life lessons, some of the best choices you can make when travelling will come from seizing opportunities. Whether these opportunities come in the wake of disappointments or on the back of meeting new people, never turn down a new experience, even if it seems it might not lead to anything. Travelling itself is venturing into the unknown, so don’t wait for new directions to present themselves – simply create your own during your journey!