What I have Learned From Travel
I love to travel. The more I travel the more I crave another trip. I have been incredibly lucky to travel to 19 different countries (so far) and have never stopped learning new things about myself or about travel in general. May it be what I actually need to pack or the importance of double-checking flight times, I never stop learning from my experiences.
I want to share some of the things I have learned from travel. Some are general and some are more personal.
1. The joy of finding a great deal
Who doesn’t love getting a great deal? I get excited when my favorite pasta is on sale at the grocery store, so it is no surprise that getting a great travel deal is a giant win in my book.
I have an obsession, I am always checking sites like skyscanner for deals. It is my go-to site because it allows me to search by month and it also lists the cheapest locations I can go to from my preferred airport. Andrew has had to listen to me lust after opportunities to travel to new places–unfortunately, we can’t jump on every deal. Silly budgets and school schedules prohibit endless travel for us.
For hotels (I have strayed away from Airbnb) I primarily use booking.com. We have learned what we like and don’t like in terms of accommodation. We do not like sharing a bathroom or having it separate from the room. I am not putting down hostels, I can’t, I have never stayed at one. I just don’t think they would fit our preferred travel style. Sometimes I find a great deal on a place because of it being off-season or it being new to the site. Use those filters!
2. Traveling makes me appreciate home
Homesickness is real my friends. Once we were in Venice, which is ridiculously beautiful, and at times I found myself wishing I was at home with Wally. But really, Andrew and I both love the feeling of exiting the Pisa airport and just taking a big breath and relishing the feeling of being HOME.
Travel has allowed me to not become complacent. It keeps me from becoming stir crazy but instead allows me to truly appreciate where we live. Even if I fell in love with where we traveled, I still love the feeling of being home.
3. Finding the right travel partner(s) is key
This is SO important! I have learned that traveling with someone with a totally different style can be complete torture. I do not want to sit around for half a day before actually going out and exploring. It makes me itchy and grumpy.
Luckily, Andrew and I are very compatible. Thank goodness. We both are ready to hit the pavement, train or whatever else right away. When we were in Paris, we only had 2 days to discover as much as possible, so we were up and out the door PRONTO each morning.
If we have more time, then yes, we are a bit more relaxed but we almost always are on the same page. We may have some disagreements, especially in terms of navigation, but for the most part, we jibe pretty well.
This makes the entire experience so much nicer than if those you are traveling with want to eat breakfast for 3 hours instead of visiting the Louvre or going on a hike. That is just not my style. Maybe it’s yours, that’s great, find someone that also loves that.
4. It’s not always the destination that makes the trip worth it
It may sound clichè, but it is truly not always the destination that counts. Sometimes it is just the fact that you took the initiative to jump on a train and see a new place. Sometimes that is hard. Sometimes all I want to do is stay home, especially if I am having a bad mental health day.
Saying yes can make all the difference in the world. For example, one weekend there was a group of people going to a wine tasting which sounded super cool, but at the same time, I also wanted to stay home. I talked myself into going and it was totally worth it! I was proud of myself for taking the initiative to push myself. As I start to get myself out the door more and more, the happier I am in the end. Even if we end up somewhere we don’t love, we know we made the effort and I don’t let it deter me from finding another place to explore.
I have found that traveling has taught me so much about myself. My personality, my likes and dislikes, my confidence, and so much more have come to light.
5. I love discovering hidden gems
Of course, seeing the main attractions of a city is a must for me, but so is finding places that aren’t full of tourists. The best example of this was when we went to Prague. We discovered that we truly loved the city by looking for places off the beaten path. We took public transport to different neighborhoods, found a random tiki bar, and relaxed in a cafè a mile out of the center.
It is a joy to find the places that make the locals love their city. It is a bonus that it is also usually a bit cheaper.
6. I love making a home base and making day trips
So, one of my favorite trips was to Scotland. We did a road trip and I loved it so much. I think in this circumstance this was the right choice for us, but we have made another travel discovery. We like making a home base and traveling to nearby places each day. This is what we did when we went to Vienna. We were able to visit places like Budapest and Bratislava.
I know this isn’t always the easiest way to travel, but when possible, I like it. It is especially nice when we don’t have access to a car.
7. Travel makes the world feel bigger and smaller at the same time
When we were in Prague, Andrew pointed this out and I agreed. The world seems bigger because the places to visit are endless along with new experiences. It also seems smaller somehow. It almost feels like the more we travel, the more accessible the world feels. I know there are many many places we have yet to visit and we won’t come close to seeing everything, but travel has opened our eyes and world to potential possibilities.
8. There is always something new to discover
I am still discovering new things about Pisa, which is where we live. There is no shortage of places and experiences to discover. That is a great bonus of meeting other people as well, they can shed light on things we haven’t done. It may be a bar, park, or maybe even a museum. I can go back to all of the places I have been and continue to discover new things. I love that.
9. Travel can be HARD and that is okay
Oh boy, travel can be so hard. There are so many things that can go wrong when traveling. Maybe the flight is delayed/canceled, maybe you get in a fight with your travel buddy. Perhaps your hotel reservation gets mysteriously canceled. Sometimes it can just be lonely.
I have learned over the years, that as hard as it can be, it is usually worth it in the end. It has taught me patience and compromise. It has taught me that sometimes things just suck and you have to deal with it. I still sometimes get grumpy, totally annoyed, hot headed, but Andrew is usually the voice of reason. Sometimes it is the other way around.
Life happens and sometimes it isn’t all great. That has helped me grow as a person and has helped Andrew and me grow as a couple.
10. Do your research before you go
I am the researcher in our relationship. Andrew is super busy with school and that means that it is up to me to research and plan. I don’t make detailed itineraries or anything, that stresses me out. I do make lists of things to do and see, possible day trips, decide if we need to rent a car, possibly book tours/experiences, etc.
When I don’t do this or do a lackluster job of it, it stresses me out! Paris taught me that I should have found out how long it takes to get to the city from the airport, FYI it’s an hour by bus.
Not doing research leads to missing out on potential awesomeness. Sometimes we know what we want to do during our day, but we just go by ear on how they fit together. Sometimes I forget to check if we should have pre-booked tickets and we miss out on visiting certain places. I have definitely learned to research as much as possible.
I have also learned that if you are staying with someone you know, you shouldn’t expect them to plan your trip for you. That is just not fair and puts extra pressure on them. It may feel like you are being super flexible, but it is hard on them.
11. I can make mistakes/bad choices
This goes along with the last point of doing research. I have made several choices when traveling that have not been great. One was when I was super young and newly married. I learned that you should be very careful with your seasick-prone husband when introducing him to SCUBA diving. Ugh, bad choice. Another was not researching tours in Morocco and just trusting the guy that ran the place where we stayed. Prices and driving times were not totally correct and led to wasted time and a carsick husband.
The thing about making mistakes while traveling? You learn.
12. Take time to rest
Travel can be exhausting. I have learned that it is important to admit when you need a break. Taking time to rest is totally fine and can be fun. Take a load off at a local restaurant or lie down in a park. Maybe you just need a day off and want to find a peaceful place to read. We have totally done that.
The more we travel, the more we have learned that rest is key. We don’t always do it enough, but take care of your body.
13. Not every place/trip is going to be a winner
It is what it is. I didn’t fall head over heels for Malta. I was glad I went, but I wasn’t wishing I could stay after three days. It’s okay not to love a place–how can you really know if you don’t go?
Sometimes, hindsight is truly 20/20 and I would go back and restructure the trip. Sometimes I just don’t click with the place. That doesn’t mean other travelers won’t love it.
14. I have learned how to pack a week’s worth of supplies into one backpack
Ryanair is a budget airline that only allows you to bring a small bag in the cabin for free. Bigger carry-ons carry a price tag. Our budget has led us to learn how to pack frugally and efficiently. Before I would pack way too many extra things that I would “maybe” need, you know, just in case.
We are now becoming experts at figuring out how to travel extra light. Don’t be afraid to re-wear things during your trip, I mean, who is going to know? Summer travel is a lot easier as you don’t need to pack heavier clothes, but either way, it is possible.
Things I don’t wear more than once, because, well I don’t: underwear and socks.
These are just a few things I have learned during my travels. Learning is never-ending. Each location also has things to learn from.
