3 things I’ve learnt while travelling
January 17th, 2023. The day it all began. I flew to Singapore to start my 6-weeks “holiday”. No one ever expected I would stay away from home for 8 months! And neither did I. In this blog, I would like to share some travel tips and tell you more about what I’ve learnt while travelling. Enjoy the read! :)
1. Be flexible
When travelling, your planning can change at any moment. Your transport can be late, people suddenly cancel your plans, the weather doesn’t allow an activity to take place, et cetera. So my advice is to be flexible.
If you are planning to go to this great viewpoint or join a tour everybody talks about, it’s also good not to have too many expectations. Why?
Photos and tour descriptions on the internet can be very misleading. Most photos are taken on sunny days. This means the view can be totally different on a cloudy (or rainy) day. Also, touring companies have the tendency to suddenly change the program without prior notice.
So, don’t have too many expectations and let the day surprise you.
You’re in an amazing county, so enjoy even though things don’t go the way you’ve planned.
2. Be grateful for what you have
While travelling in underdeveloped countries like Laos or Vietnam, you’ll see a lot of poverty. Especially in the less touristy places. People sleep outside, wear dirty clothes, beg for money to buy food, et cetera.
At first, I could barely believe it. How is this possible when you can have dinner for 1 to 2 euros? Or sleep in hostels for 5 euros a night? However, for those people, it’s still very expensive. In Thailand, people are lucky when they earn 300 Baht (9 euros) a day. And with that money, they have to take care of their whole family.
This reminded me how good my life actually is. And it made me appreciate all the things I have back home.
3. Enjoy the little things
What surprised me the most is, although those people don’t have much money to live from, they are always smiling. And they are always doing their absolute best to help you. They take joy out of the smallest things in their lives. This reminded me to enjoy the little things in life more. And so should you!
Some travel tips
- Do your research — Roughly know where you want to go and what to do in that city/country. Read reviews and connect with other travellers through WhatsApp or Facebook communities.
- Get a credit card — In most countries, you can’t pay or withdraw money with your debit card. Get yourself a credit card. Are you travelling for a longer period of time? Check out Wise, Bunq, or Revolut.
- Only pack the essentials — Especially when travelling with a backpack, you’re going to regret overpacking. Most hostels offer laundry service and if not, you’ll find one in almost every street. Also, you want to leave some space for souvenirs. :)
I highly recommend everyone to start travelling. Not only will you learn so much more about the world, its history, and different cultures. But you will also get to know yourself a little bit more. Yes, I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true.
Hopefully, you enjoyed reading this blog. If you are going on a trip soon and want some more tips, feel free to connect with me on Twitter and send me a DM.
Cheers,
Your Favourite Content Warrior — Sharissa🔥
