100 little things that travel has taught me
Travel has been one of my most valuable teachers. Rather than sit in a classroom and learn about the world through a someone else’s eyes, I did it through adventures and misadventures, tears and laughter. I know I still have so much to discover, but here are some lessons that sometimes I had to learn the hard way. Some of them I already kinda knew, some I are silly, some are serious, some are obvious, and some are embarrassing. Maybe this collection will help open up new doors in your own life and own travels, and although we will all learn our own lessons, I hope maybe I will help someone avoid some of my mistakes (example: #14). Happy travels!
- Travel is about the journey, not the destination. The destination is only the means for the journey to begin.
- Laws prohibiting durian on public transportation are there for a reason.
- Walking is the best way to explore a new city, and to burn off the calories from those cocktails last night.
- There are some tourist destinations that are “must-do’s” but they rarely really show you what a place is about.
- What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger.
- If you can’t pick up your bag, you probably packed too much shit.
- Mango sticky rice is a wonderful breakfast, dessert and/or midnight snack. The same goes for banana pancakes.
- Lonely Planet doesn’t know everything.
- Learn how to bargain.
- Your whole life can change in a month, but your hometown will be just as you left it.
- Buying imported booze instead of drinking the local stuff is a fast way to blow your budget.
- Your friends are as inspired by your travels as they are envious of them. I promise.
- No matter how many you see, never stop appreciating sunsets.
- “Embarazado” DOES NOT mean “embarrassed.”
- Sleep with your valuables as a pillow on overnight Eurorail trips, and in stations. Even then keep on guard.
- Postcards and tacky heartfelt souvenirs are the cheapest and greatest gift you can give.
- You can’t get contraceptives, tampons, etc. over the counter in all countries. Plan accordingly.
- At least attempt to learn the local language. “Hello!” and “Thank you!” will get you farther than you think.
- Learn how to wash your own clothes.
- Tattoos are great souvenirs that will last a lifetime.
- Carabineers are not just for rockclimbing.
- It’s fun to have a gimmick to make new friends. For example: playing an ukulele, fire dancing, perfecting a card trick, etc. You have the time, learn how to do something!
- Beware of monkeys. They are absolutely not to be trusted at all.
- Big or small, boats are fun! (Unless you get seasick, in which case I apologize for being the happy hyper blonde girl talking about how much fun boats are while you were vomiting.)
- Working on farms is an awesome way to live cheap or free and see a different part of culture.
- There is something delicious about having sex in foreign countries. Double delicious with a foreigner. Triple if they don’t speak your language very well (or at all).
- Chronicle your journey: years from now you will be so happy you blogged or journaled.
- Invest in a comfortable pair of sandals.
- Bored? People watch. Make up stories about strangers.
- The world is smaller than you think.
- Learn the tipping policies of whatever country you are in and adhere to them.
- More smiling. Less bitching. No matter how miserable you feel, your friends back at home would still trade places with you in a heartbeat.
- Be wary of accepting tea from merchants, especially in Islam countries, it is how they trap you long enough to hear their full sales pitch.
- Always have spare toilet paper with you.
- The famous Koh Phangan Full Moon parties are overrated. There are smaller more intimate parties all over Thailand without thousands of puking, littering, stumbling eighteen year olds. No offense, I was the same way when I was eighteen. But I’m not anymore and have higher party standards.
- Don’t be a chump, but generosity is a good trait.
- Wading through crocodile swamps is rarely a good idea.
- Quitting smoking while on the road is damn near impossible.
- Don’t touch the dogs in Bali. Don’t go near them. Please.
- Spending the day looking at street art can be just as rewarding as paying to visit a museum. And will be much cheaper.
- “Spicy” has different meanings in different countries. And different chilis can be spicier than nearly identical ones.
- Deep fried bugs aren’t as gross as you would think, especially after a night of drinking in Phnom Penh.
- Food poisoning sucks, but is a rite of passage.
- Sometime you have to embrace clichés.
- No one wants to buy your friendship bracelets. But they will wear them as anklets for free!
- Just because you’re on the road does not give you the excuse to slack on hygiene.
- It does however mean you don’t have to shave. As often anyways.
- Latino lover stereotypes are basically true. The good ones and the bad ones.
- Don’t touch Asian people on the head. No matter how cute they are. It’s rude.
- Respect the elderly wherever you are.
- Life is a celebration.
- Bring snacks for airplane, bus, and train rides.
- The easiest way to adjust to time changes is to make yourself go to sleep at whatever time you would at home in your new zone, whether it means staying up for twenty-four hours, or dosing yourself with a Tylenol PM early.
- It’s nothing personal babe, but snuggling just doesn’t work in tropical countries with no AC.
- Pack one little black dress that is wrinkle-proof.
- Sarongs have a plethora of uses.
- Please stop littering. This isn’t a travel lesson, this is a life lesson.
- Not all who wander are lost.
- Coconuts are full of electrolytes and will make you feel better after a long night of drinking, food poisoning, travel, etc.
- It’s nice to have a fake wedding ring handy.
- Drinking with locals is the best way to learn a new language.
- Earplugs.
- Read books that take place in the location you are visiting for plenty of daydream material.
- Make a Couch Surfer account
- Call your parents just enough so they don’t worry, no matter how old you are, they are still your parents.
- Trust your instincts.
- Buy travel insurance.
- You can wear the smallest bikini in the world in Brazil, but for some reason you can’t sunbathe topless.
- You actually can’t sunbathe topless in a lot of countries, research before you strip.
- Good luck finding a burger in India.
- A deck of cards will give you hours of entertainment and help you make friends.
- Cockroaches, however disgusting, will not actually hurt you.
- Guard your passport with your life. Get an under the clothes travel wallet. Please don’t get those ones that go around your neck, they are sooooo ugly and you can see them right through clothes.
- Research local laws. You never know what weird things may be illegal and/or frowned upon.
- Talking with other travelers will teach you more than checking government websites.
- Even if you don’t believe in karma, karma believes in you.
- Ask before you take pictures of people.
- Eat less things that come in plastic packaging and more things that grow on trees.
- Stop and smell the flowers. Especially plumerias.
- Even if it doesn’t make you look cool or the law doesn’t require it, wear a helmet while on a motorbike whenever possible.
- Tigerbalm has multiple uses.
- There is a 95% chance that anything “designer” you buy on the street isn’t. Ray Bans do not equal Ray Bands.
- Don’t just rely on GPS for road trips. Sometimes the old fashioned way is better.
- Don’t leave your purse on the table at the bar while you stumble to the bathroom with your friends. (Yeah… I know…I did a lot of stupid stuff when I was eighteen.)
- Beware that when you see the word “happy” before food or drink (happy-pizza, happy-shake, happy-omelet, etc), it might not be the kind of happy you’re used to. And don’t worry, the rainbow dragons are your friends and will be gone tomorrow back in their magical kingdom.
- Mini sewing kit.
- Calm down. Just because you can’t post about it online does not make it less real.
- No one ever said travel is easy. We all get lonely and homesick.
- No matter what your beliefs are, respect the local culture. You are a guest.
- Once you get home, print out some of your favorite photos. When you’re old, are you going to want to pull up your old Facebook page to show your grandkids the pictures, or would you rather pull out a box full of treasures?
- Wear sunscreen.
- If you get sunburned, immediately pop an ibprofin, take a cold shower, and slather yourself with sunscreen when you get out. You know how when you get out of the sun you keep on turning redder? These things will stop the burn from intensifying.
- Ziploc bags do come in handy. As do credit cards.
- Skinny dip in tropical water under a full moon at least once.
- Riding camels is AWESOME! (And just a little stinky. But mostly awesome.)
- Stick to your fitness routine. Yoga on the road helps me so much. Even five minutes every morning of stretching makes a difference.
- Flipflops come and go. It’s better not to get too attached.
- Its simpler to pack lots of accessories, than it is to pack lots of clothes. Plus you’ll pick up new threads on the road anyways.
- A day spent doing nothing in a hammock is a day well spent.
- There are always more mistakes to be made, more lessons to learn, more adventure to be had, and more sunsets to watch. If there is a way to travel without making mistakes, learning lessons, having adventures, and watching sunsets, then I don’t want to do it.
What are some lessons you have learned from travel? Leave them in the comments below please so others may learn from your mistakes!
photo credits: katja hentschel: polaroid, laptop, insects, waterfall girl; mrsdkrebs: tattoo map, littlelakes: coconut, fmgbains: flowers, all others: author’s own
* post written by Kyra Bramble. To read more of Kyra’s, check out her website.
Tags: backpacking, beach, camping, clothes, food, fun, inspiration, lessons, links, party, people, personal experiences, shopping, tips, traveling
awesome <3
Love this list. Will revisit many times. And P.S. Kyra, I’m that girl throwing up and chucking dirty looks your way as you enjoy boats of all sizes
x
I love ‘embarazado’ does not mean ‘embarrassed’. Great tip about the sunburn too. I’d totally get tattoos as souvenirs if I wasn’t worried about the cleanliness of the needle. I guess that one depends a lot on where you are. Really nice post
Awesome tips and they bring back great memories too! My own travel tip: Bring lots of rubberbands, I put them in pockets, around bottles, around your wrist, etc. You never know when you want to put your hair back or use them to tie something down, or together.
Kyra thanks for the link, I love this one!!!! Very clever and entertaining! And such wisdom you speak!!!!! My number one thing I have learnt from travel is that you have to let go of what you dont have control over. Travel has taught me so much about surrender. I remember waiting around in Thailand at a bus stop in the heat after traveling for 12 hours and the bus for the last part of the journey was three hours later than they said it would be and I was getting so worked up! But there was nothing I could do! So, instead of freaking out and not doing myself or the situation any good, I chose a few of your tips- got a coconut, got out a pack of cards and chilled. Its Thailand afterall, not peak hour in a London tube, chances are you will be in hammock with a cocktail just in time for sunset! And if not, there is always tomorrow! Thanks for the reminders!!!! Xoxoxoxo
i learned that it’s OK to travel with a backpack full of dresses and high heels and then you can very well stay in the $2 dollar room in the crappiest hotel in town while still wearing $30 lipstick which you’ve applied with the help of the camera on your iphone.
http://www.planetcockroach.com/cockroach-disease.html
Just saying…
LOVE LOVE LOVE! Great article!
I love the world map tattoo photo. Very unique.
this is so nice!! valid tips and I’ve personally used many of em. thanks for sharing this!
This old woman says”Good for you,girl” When and if you are housebound with disease or aged bones, you can live a full life again in those memories. And your tat will be the one spot of brightness on an old droopy body. The nurses will, as they did in my eldest daughters last days say” Wow! That’s interesting. Tell me about what is means.” Keep on living your days and enjoying every moment. You make me proud to be a female!!! Kate in NY
I have copied and pasted these into a word document. I have a plan to get maps of Michigan (where I’m from), the US, and the world, frame them, hang them on my wall and put pins in every where I’ve traveled. I want to display this list with the maps. Would this be okay?
When a camel sits down, lean backwards then quickly lean forwards…or else you will fall. Also, they don’t spit, but they do drool. And Finally, if you are ever in Jerusalem make the trip to the Sea Level Camel (it’s about a 10 minute drive out of the city on the side of the highway)and be sure to bring your camera, because the guy can teach you some cool things you didn’t know about your OWN camera… seriously.
Great post! I should do one of these as well, although I’m sure ours would be pretty similar. Just came across your site while on StumbUpon. Will be following:)
“Experience is the sum of your mistakes”
Ps: When i hire people my most important question is exactly that: what were your biggest mistakes?
If i don’t get 5 and meaningfull examples, i don’t hire.
Great post. ‘Joi de vivre ‘as the french call it.
All the best,
B.
Got to make my own list!!
Nice work.
When you find a truly special place don’t post it on the web it will be gone within 2 years.
Never tell someone or post that you travel a lot, it is just indecorous.
Experienced mos to these whil backpacking!
This list has inspired me to write a better version. Mine will not include the ultra twee number 100.
Ha I agree that sarongs have a plethora of uses… I never travel without one! Blanket, pillow, beach towel, towel, dress, cover up… you name it!
You have learned a lot in your travels. Keep it up.
I need to make my own list. Seems like you’ve learned a lot traveling. Wish I was on the “same boat” so to speak. Ha.
On the plane, Do not go into the toilet when you wearing only socks
What a Lovely site . I have lean a lot of things now keep it up
What a Lovely site . I have lean a lot of things now keep it up .
I am a bit drunk (not that much, no worries) but are you sure about ‘Flipflops come and go. It’s better not to get too attached’?
I miss them badly.
Your, Conrad
i missed the s, be kind an edit it to perfection.
Thanks,
Yours, Conrad. Ta! I did it!
Great List. I would add to be weary of rival sports teams playing each other, especially in championship games. Watching the game in a public space can be fun, there can be celebrations in the streets afterwords or unsettling riots.
Thanx a lot)funny and useful. good work!
Love this list! Haha especially the embarazado note – I too learned that one the hard way when studying abroad in Madrid!
Rain coat and mini umbrella, book a place to stay before leaving the city you’re in (read reviews), shower shoes.
Thanks everyone for all the great feedback and additional tips! This is a list that could go on indefinitely… Awesome!
@Lindsey- of course!!!!
great advice! also, marry me?
Pretty much spot on there. I can’t think of anything to add, everything is covered. Instantly reminds of my travels and all the experiences I had and people I met. Top stuff!!
If they tell you it’s free it’s probably not free.
thanks. useful information
So many of those ring a bell! Wonderful post.
“Embarazado” DOES NOT mean “embarrassed.”
Made that mistake!
Also once told a pregnant woman that she must be excited to get the “pedo” off her stomach. Thought I was saying “peso” (weight). Actually said fart! Oops.
From my first trip alone (without anyone I knew before) I learned that you as a #1 Rule:SHOULD NEVER BE SHY! I have been regretting some things I wish I’d done back in my trip even though I learned so kuch and had such an amazing time.
Awesome writing girl, thanks for sharing it.
LOL! @ Greg Goodman!
I love this list! I hope to make my own after much traveling as well
Beautifully said. I am definitely sharing this with my flight attendant friends/co-workers. A lot of truth in your post as well as humor. LOVE it!
Great Article… Loved it
Great tips! Adding my own two cents – I always stash emergency cash (for cab fare, etc.) in a different location from my normal cash/traveler’s checks. There are a lot of hackers stealing credit card information from people in public places (i.e. AIRPORTS, etc.) with a hand-held computerized reader. Protect yourself from identity theft by using a stainless steel wallet or credit card holder (not as silly as it sounds). This blocks the reader. I take a small powerstrip with me when I travel as many hotel rooms and ship’s cabins have insufficient power outlets for more than one or two appliances. Duct tape can cure a multitude of travel boo-boos. I also always take extra Ziploc bags and rubber bands. If you take prescription medication, make sure you have MORE than adequate supplies with you, and a list of these medications in your belongings. If you wear a Medic-Alert bracelet, take a spare along in case you lose it.
Hmm is anyone else experiencing problems with the images on this
blog loading? I’m trying to figure out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
[...] ficar para toda a vida. E pensando nisso as simpáticas meninas do Travelettes fizeram uma lista de 100 pequenas coisas que elas aprenderam viajando. Do aprendizado mais pessoal e simples como “Não encoste nos cachorros em Bali. E nem chegue [...]
Thank you for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to do some research on this.
We got a grab a book from our area library
but I think I learned more clear from this post.
I’m very glad to see such fantastic information being shared freely out there.
Great list. Some are so recognizable. Put a smile on my face.
Great post. I love to travel and do it as often and as long as I can. And when I can’t do it really, I love to read and talk about travel. So this post was a treat for me. You hit most of my best travel lessons learned, but I would add two more.
1. Take aspirin BEFORE you expose your skin to a long period of sunlight. Aspirin causes your capillaries to dilate so more blood reaches your skin which helps carry away the by-products of too much sun. Plus, it causes the pigment in your skin to lay flat which keeps the radiation from penetrating too deeply. And aspirin’s anti-inflammatory effect will help heal any sunburn you get anyway.
2. Welcome the opportunity to travel solo. When you travel with even one other person, you spend more time being attentive to your companion and less to being open to talking to local people. And local people will be more apt to strike up a conversation with you when they don’t feel like they are intruding on your conversation with a travel companion. Many of my best travel memories are from solo trips.
Great post! Travel certainly is the best way to learn new things and more is learned from simply traveling than anything else!
After reading dozens of these types of blog posts I must say that yours was of great help, as I’m backpacking in Germany for a few weeks this may, great tips and I love your outlook on life/travel/love! Hopefully I will keep this in the ole noggin during my travels.
Guten Tag
Great site. Thanks for sharing your travel wisdom. Travel is the best education. If you see a group of tourist following a sign (or flag) run the other way. Eat and drink like the locals. Do not ever refuse a gift. Do not ask personal questions. They may, but refrain. Thanks again.
[...] See on http://www.travelettes.net [...]
This is great! So true..
I would also add, learn to accept and then embrace your own company (you need this if you’re travelling alone) and, whenever possible, try not to book more than 3 days in advance where youre next headed… speak to everyone you meet and ask where they’d recommend nearby. Then go! Also, take a book and sign your name when you finish, swapping it in a book depository. Maybe in another time, another hostel, another country, youll find a book you read a lifetime ago!
Amazing post. Thank you
Great post! I’ve learned a lot of that the hard way as well, but it really is all part of the experience!
Be aware of cows in India! They are not as harmless as you might think…
A great post! Very true about motorbike helmets…
Love the list(s). My most valuable lesson is that travel is all about collecting experiences. I want to have less stuff and be rich with experiences.
Love all of these! Especially ‘Mini sewing kit’ and ‘embarazada does NOT mean embarrassed!!!’ You will definitely not be te first person to have a mix-up with that I’m sure! Kind of feel like making one of these lists myself now – good job!
Nice tips. I made some mistakes while I traveled.
Always watch your language, Even if you think the people dont know english odds are they have heard our popular cuss words and may take offense.
Thanks for the tips
)
When u travel just go and do whatever u want.. Don’t let ur group or friends discourage you… We r born free and free we shall live
Enjoy every little thing to the maximum
Get lost u will explore more and learn things faster
WOAH THERE! Good luck finding a burger in India? You haven’t been here recently have you?
1. Bring mosquito repelant with you.
2. Don’t take aspirin in a tropical country when you feel sick, it’s possible to have Dengue fever. Aspirin + Dengue fever = death
I like this post…
)
thank you for sharing with me..
These are really great lessons and I strongly encourage travelers/tourists visiting a foreign country to learn a few basic words in the local language. You’re right, it will get you farther than you think. I also encourage journaling or blogging about your adventures, no matter how boring you think they may be…there will always be someone who’ll want to read about them. I know I would
What a cool post! Lots of great thoughts and ideas.
I know and totally agree with the durian ban on public transport; that smell!!! And monkeys are great to photograph, but can be very nasty with big teeth. They are now sweet animals.
What are carabineers for then?
Why does your numbering not just go from 1 to 100? Is there a reason?
Thanks for sharing!
Very interesting and comprehensive list, thank you !
WOW! you just put into words a lot of the things I have also learned through travel! Excellent article, well done!
Brilliant!!
oh and you do get burgers in India, yes just like the ones in west. Agreed not easy to find.
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