This is a guest article from my friend Emilia Garth. She just returned from an 80 day trip across Europe so we asked her what she had learned on her trip that she could share with our readers! She came up with 3 things to do daily when traveling and we think it is great advice that we should listen to as well! If you are ready to get started traveling for free, check out our Getting Started page when you are done with this article!
3. Journal
Whether it’s via photos or a written log of what you do every day, you will be supremely grateful that you took note. I travel with a calendar and every day I write phrases of my activities, key words to remember funny anecdotes that occurred, and the names of people I met. On your travels you will be astounded again and again at what a small world it is. At the same time your eyes are opened to new sights and perspectives, you will also realize how few degrees of separation there are between each of us. The photos are great to share with friends during and after the trip and to remind yourself of where you’ve been. The notes you take about travel partners and new friends will help you track the development of your feelings and relationships. These journal entries are the least expensive, but most valuable souvenirs of all.
Do it! It is a task that is worth those 7 minutes waiting for a train or 10 minutes waiting to to check in at the airport.
2. Avoid Resorting to your Smart Phone for companionship
Yes, it is understandable to check emails and your social networking pages for updates on friends, family members and significant others.However, it would be tragic if not pathetic to waste precious time playing games or stalking people on social networking pages. How do you control this? Simple: give yourself a time limit. Your smartphone has an alarm clock/timer function. Give yourself half and hour to an hour for internet gluttony perhaps while you have your coffee and then again when you come home at the end of the day. Setting a timer may sound strange, but it’s a simple and effective way to combat smartphone sloth.
You are traveling for goodness sake! Leave your comfort zone and put the phone down.
1. Talk to a Stranger
I would say “take risks” but this goes beyond trying an exotic local food. It means talking to your seat mate on the bus or plane or train instead of putting in your earphones and listening to the same music you could listen to on your couch at home. It means purposely veering from the tourist map you were given at your hotel/hostel/villa and stopping at a mom and pop restaurant or food stall for a snack and directions. A prime example:
On a long bus trip in Thailand in 2008, I started talking to a girl from Spain. We became friends during the bus ride and then traveled together for about a week. After adding each other on Facebook, we went our separate ways. This summer, six years later, I went traveling around Europe with an open plan and we reunited, she opened her home to me, and we went cave diving and partying together. Strangers are simply friends that we haven’t yet met.Travel means learning through experience. This requires being present. Take out your earphones, look around, ask questions, and smile.
Thanks Emilia for your wisdom and everyone please comment with any questions and share this if you find it valuable using the share buttons below.