We Asked 10 Twenty-Somethings To Tell Us Their Biggest Travel Lessons
Preparing for your first trip overseas can be daunting. What should you pack? Where should you stay? Is it possible to dissolve from excitement? There’s a lot to think about.
[related_articles]56593,57490,62903[/related_articles]To help you navigate your first trip O/S we asked 10 seasoned travellers to tell us their biggest travel lessons.
Being Alone Is A Good Thing
“On my first trip I learned how ruthless German train timetables were and also how to sleep anywhere. But more seriously, I also learned how to be alone with my thoughts and entertain myself.” – Riana, 24. Travelled in Europe when she was 18.
You’ll Come Home Braver Than You Left
“On my first overseas trip, I was alone and broke with no intention of ever coming home. The biggest lesson I learnt was (despite my attempts to the contrary) how Australian I was.
“You discover so much about yourself travelling. You experience the best and worst of times. You need to be brave to do it [travel], and you’ll certainly be braver once you have.” – Rachel, 28. Travelled France when she was 24.
Dutch Courage Is Real
“I learned how to talk to random people… often having a pisco sour worked wonders!” – Kirsty, 23. Travelled in South America when she was 22.
Being Open Is Really Important
“I think the best thing to take away from travelling was that I should always put on a brave face and keep an open mind. Nerves can often get the best of you but it’s important to remember that all solo travellers are in the same boat.
[related_articles]58745,58801[/related_articles]“[When we travel] We’re all taking ourselves out of our comfort zone, so I also realised that when things got too much there was nothing wrong with having a bit of time out.” – Euan, 22. Travelled in Mexico when he was 21.
You’ll Find The Ying To Your Yang
“From experience, I learned there are perfect travelling buddies and you’ll know when you find them.” – Annelise, 23. Travelled in Europe when she was 19.
Getting Lost Is Often The Best Way To Discover Things
“You can’t really get by with just ‘learning the language on the plane’ and you always know a lot less of another language than you think you do.
“I also learned that getting lost in a new city is not the worst thing that can happen; you can always find something amazing you didn’t know you were looking for. I found that people can be very nice and helpful when you’re in need and that taught me to be less judgmental of the people I met on the road.” – Kevin, 22. Travelled in Italy when he was 17.
Branch Out Of Your Comfort Zone
“My biggest lesson was don’t just stick with people from the same country!” – Raphaella, 20. Travelled in Europe in when she was 19.
Travelling Will Help You Become An Adult
“When I went overseas for the first time I was quite young. I hadn’t really reflected on my own behaviour, who I was or who I wanted to be. I ended up being abroad for almost one year, travelling mostly on my own and with people who I met on the way.
“The transition from being a teenager to a young adult while surrounded by people who had completely different backgrounds to me taught me a lot about cultural differences and understanding (or at least trying to understand) other perspectives.” – Rebekka, 23. Travelled in South America when she was 18.
Travel Buddies Will Become Your New Fam
“Travelling for six months was one of the most challenging experiences of my life. It was the first time I lived without my family, so I knew it was going to be different. The thing that I didn’t know was that I was going to meet a new family.
[related_articles]57599,57490[/related_articles]“The people I met were the type of people I always wanted to be around, and I learned how much impact they had on me. Hopefully they can say the same thing about me!” – José, 22. Travelled to South-East Asia when he was 21
Embracing Different Cultures Is Really Important
“Travelling means becoming conscious of the many traditions and practices in society and how different they can be from the ones we are used to at home. My lesson was to observe and analyse everything that was unfamiliar so I could expand my way of thinking.” – Ethan, 23. Travelled in Brazil when he was 21.
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(Lead image: @belart84 / Unsplash)