There’s a lot to learn out there.
HOW to be more patient, how to function on little sleep and how to make the best of bad situations.
Travel has taught me a lot of things. More than anything, however, it has helped me become a better person and to appreciate what I have.
Today I’m stepping away from my more satirical nature and reflecting on the impact travelling has made on my life. I’m sure many of you can relate.
Here are 20 things I’ve learned from travelling.
1. The trip from hell makes an interesting story. Travel has taught me that when things go wrong, don’t panic — just remember the details. The worse things become, the better the story.
Also, things seem more traumatic when they’re happening, but as time elapses, things may not have been as bad as they seemed. I may even be able to laugh about the incident. The same holds true for life: time always passes and changes perspective.
2. The world is small. You can get on a plane this afternoon and wake up in Rome.
3. At the same time, the world is large. There are just too many places to see in a lifetime.
4. I’m grateful for what I have. Travelling has taught me that I am fortunate. I have a comfortable place to live, the natural beauty of lakes and woods surrounding me, and the slower pace of small town life (but with great air service).
No matter where I go in this world, it is a joy to come home. By travelling, I can appreciate it so much more than if I had never left.
5. You can’t trust everyone. Growing up in a small town, our homes were left unlocked. The car keys were always left in the ignition and neighbours offered to help each other. It never occurred to me then that people could be untrustworthy.
While I still believe that people are good by default, I’ve learned that there are people struggling to survive in the world and they will do so at your expense. For this reason, I’m super-cautious when I travel.
And sometimes it’s still not enough — I get taken advantage of.
6. I enjoy travelling alone, but travel is better with friends.
7. If you want to travel badly enough, you can make it happen.
8. There are good aeroplane meals, comfortable long-haul flights and friendly flight attendants. Really.
Yeah, that looks quite tasty. Picture: JoJo
9. Family and friends are important and no matter how much I love travelling, I need to make time for the people in my life who matter most.
10. Travel pushes me beyond everyday boundaries. I will push myself when I’m travelling. When I’m at home, I may find a reason not to go for a walk because I have laundry, an appointment or work to accomplish.
But when I’m travelling, I might walk a dozen kilometres in one day. I may climb a pyramid, parasail, snorkel or try a new exotic food.
11. People throughout the world are more alike than they are different.
12. The more I travel, the more I want to travel.
13. Not everything always goes as planned, but travel teaches me to remember to relax because the alternative may have a better outcome.
14. I don’t function well in excessive heat and humidity.
15. I can get by with less. I don’t need souvenirs, but it is OK to buy something functional when travelling, like socks. I can also travel with less. I can go away for an entire week with a small backpack. It’s also acceptable to wear the same clothes two days in a row.
16. People who enjoy travelling are passionate and love to talk about their journeys. I believe that travel makes you more interesting than you would be if you didn’t travel. It’s a joy to meet with others who enjoy travelling and hear about their trips.
It’s also exciting to learn how they make it happen with little money. Just having travelled offers membership in this exclusive club.
17. Travel has taught me to anticipate wondrous things, but also to embrace the actual magic of the moment regardless of how it measures up to my expectations.
18. There is something interesting at every destination. An exception to this is Dublin. You have to drink to find something interesting about Dublin.
Oh, Dublin. Picture: William Murphy
19. Travel has taught me the limits of my comfort zone, exposed my weaknesses, and let my strengths occasionally shine through.
20. I would spend my last dollars/miles/points on a plane ticket.
Hopefully, my travels will continue to teach me many more lessons in the future.
This story originally appeared on the Frugal Travel Guy.
Ever in search of luxury, Varun heads to Abadia Reuterta le Domaine in Spain.
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