Travel Tuesday: ten things travel has taught me

Travel is so many things; it’s fun, scary and exciting, it puts you in situations you never would have imagined and it teaches you a lot, both about the world and yourself. Having travelled a bit, I’ve learned an incredible amount and I thought it would be fun to share with you ten things that travel has taught me over the years. This is by no means an exhaustive list but more of a snapshot of some of the things I never knew before I travelled:

1. I am not as well travelled as I once thought

When Brendan and I set out on our big adventure four years ago, I thought I was the sage, well-travelled one between the two of us. I took pride in lording my travel expertise over him and anyone else who would care to listen. Until I realised that really, compared to many people, I’ve barely seen anything. Sure, compared to some others I’ve seen lots but travel has humbled me and made me realise that really, I don’t know as much as I thought. I’m just an amateur traveller compared to so many!

2. Some things transcend even the toughest language & culture barriers

When you’ve had to step behind the bar of a cafe in Spain to make the espresso you just couldn’t muster the linguistic skill to order, or been forced to talk on the phone to a Frenchman who couldn’t speak a word of English to explain that you’re late to check-in to your hotel but will be there soon, you realise that tone of voice, hand gestures and a bit of kindness go a long way. You don’t need to be a linguist to travel; communication is so much more than language.

3. Money can buy experiences, but having no money creates funnier memories

We’ve travelled on a ridiculously tight budget before and on some days we had to make the choice between eating a proper meal or seeing a world-famous sight. We missed out on doing a lot of things we would have liked to do if we’d had the money in our bank account, but our tight budget was also the cause for some rather hilarious memories. I think all of my friends have laughed at the story of Brendan and I cooking pasta in the lukewarm water of the bathroom sink in our B&B in Venice…it was a horrific meal, but it certainly was memorable…

4. Sometimes I hate travelling

This may seem like a strange statement coming from a travel blogger, but travel is not always glamorous, comfortable or even fun. Over the years I’ve had arguments with friends, thrown tantrums over getting lost, come close to having heart attacks over various airport-related disasters, yelled at incompetent car rental staff, stressed about our budget, sat in hospital chairs being thankful for travel insurance, cried at having to pack up and leave again and slept in some of the most uncomfortable beds, chairs, floors, windowsills and car boots (see pic below) imaginable. In those moments, I hate travelling. It doesn’t stop me from going on my next trip though, which I guess is the most important thing!

 5. Some of my closest friendships have been formed on the road

I have to admit that I’m not the most social traveller; being shy around people I don’t know hasn’t really helped my cause, and yet some of the closest friends I have now are people I’ve met when I’ve been travelling or living abroad. Perhaps it’s the common ground of travel, or maybe I’ve just been incredibly lucky to meet some amazing people over the past four years, but in any case I wouldn’t have met them without having travelled.

6. Good company and good food are the secret to an amazing trip

All of my favourite trips have involved amazing company and mouth-watering food. No exceptions. Even when Brendan and I were backpacking on a tight budget, some of my best memories revolve around food (not, of course, the aforementioned bathroom sink pasta disaster). Incredible tiramisu in Venice, refreshing granita in Rome, clam chowder in Seattle, boeuf bourguignon in France, goulash in Prague, reindeer in Finland, goat’s cheese in Riga…I could go on but I’m too hungry to torture myself with these food flashbacks. I’d say the most important ingredient to successful travel is who you’re with, but good food is a very close second for me!

7. Trying new things is (almost always) awesome

Sometimes trying new things is not awesome. Like sleeping in a car on a French mountain. Or eating cassoulet. But most of the new things I’ve tried, either out of choice or coercion, have been some major highlights along my travel timeline. Scuba diving was something I was adamantly against but now I adore it. Paragliding off a mountain didn’t really appeal to my fear of heights but I loved it. Although sometimes I’m terrified, I know that when I do take the plunge, experiencing new things is almost always awesome!

8. No matter how many new things I see, my list keeps growing

Seriously, my list is scarily long and it just keeps growing. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do everything I’d like to, and I’m kinda glad about that because if I ran out of new places to go and new things to try, that would be boring, right?

9. Not everyone shares my love for travelling

As much as I can’t imagine life without travel, I have learned that there are people who just don’t want to see the world. And that’s totally OK. I used to judge these people, probably because I just didn’t understand them. I still don’t, but I understand that we’re all different and whilst travel is a major priority in my life it’s not for everyone. I have to say, I’m glad I have reached the point where I don’t think it’s a fatal flaw for people not to want to hop on the next plane to anywhere…!

10. It is always, always worth it

For me, travel is always worthwhile. Not only has it opened my eyes to other cultures and ideas, but it’s taught me a great number of things about myself and the things that make me tick. Whether I’m flying to the other side of the world or driving a couple of hours away from my home, I see each of these journeys as invaluable and I never regret going. Even after a not-so-successful trip away, I wouldn’t take it back for anything…for me, there is nothing more valuable than new experiences and seeing things for the first time.

What has travel taught you? Tell me in the comments below!