Valuable Lessons I Learned from Traveling

Travel is one of life’s greatest teachers and is known to change you. That’s because travel broadens our minds and pulls us out of our comfort zone and plunges us into the depths of the unknown.

Surrounding yourself with different cultures to explore, different people to encounter, and different circumstances to face, are bound to challenge all of us a bit. It can be a scary thing at times, especially if you don’t understand the language and are exposed to a different culture, but that’s part of the whole experience. Doesn’t all personal growth come from challenges?

Below are some of the life lessons I learned from my traveling

1) The world is kind

It’s hard to have an open perspective on the world if you only hear negative stories and stereotypes perpetuated by the mainstream media. Traveling unravels those prejudices with a more complex story of the world. Not only that, the more I travel the more faith I have in human beings. Of all the lessons from traveling on this list, I cherish this one the most.

In all my travels, especially when solo, I have had great experiences with local people and fellow travelers who often say hello and are always happy to help me out. Even when there are language barriers, most locals feel a sense of responsibility and pride in making sure I pass through their little corner of the world safely and enjoyably.

Yes, there are bad eggs everywhere, but, what travel teaches you is that the majority of people are good.

2) Gratitude is the secret of happiness

I’m so grateful for all of the places I’ve seen and the experiences that come from those visits. The more I practice gratitude the more it helps keep me in the moment and appreciate them.

3) Be a lifelong learner

I have always seen travel quotes proclaiming how traveling is the best way of learning, expanding the mind, and broadening perspective. Yes, they’re inspirational grains of truth, but this type of learning and personal growth doesn’t happen by accident.

As a traveler, I learned to have an open mind and stopped judging something just because it’s different. Travel can be a relaxing escape, but, it is also a chance for us to escape our daily routines and welcome new things without prejudging them. Isn’t this the essence of learning?

We have to learn it, otherwise, the experience will pass like every other moment in time and we’ll come out all unchanged.

4) Sometimes life gets in the way and you have to just flow with it

When you do intensive research, plan, and prepare with one destination in mind, all your energy is heading in that direction. But, when the emergency brakes are pulled, the station and change of direction staggers.

Earlier, I used to get very frustrated when my plans were not happening according to my will, but with time I started accepting it and realized I could not do anything to change the circumstances. I could’ve let my frustrations take over or start accepting and enjoy what is there at the moment. But, releasing those feelings and rolling with the tide turned out to be far better than fighting it and stewing in my disappointments.

I’ve understood it’s what you do in the aftermath that reveals your true spirit.

5) Most of the time fear is not actually "fear".

The majority of our fears are not even actual fears. They’re all made of self-doubting, insecure, nervous thoughts and feelings impersonate as fear to mess with our minds and bodies. Fear is usually more perception than reality.

I’ve traveled solo despite these thoughts. I thought I’d never leave my hostel room when I arrived in Gili T for my first solo trip. I was so terrified with the culture and experience, but I’ve pushed past them every single time and was rewarded greatly with more confidence.

6) Always pay attention to your hunches.

My entire solo trip to Bali started with a hunch. I’d seen a few photos and read a few blog posts. But something about it just grabbed my attention.

I was a little nervous in the beginning, but, when I finally arrived on the beautiful island of Bali I was swept away by its tranquil beaches and warm people. I followed my hunch instead of checking off another travel bucket list item. In doing so, Bali stole my heart and showed that perhaps it should have been on my list all along.

I have met several locals along my journey and mostly had pleasant experiences. However, sometimes local people can give a negative vibe. So one lesson I learned that I’d like to share with other travelers is to not be under the obligation to say yes to locals just because you’re meant to be warm and pleasant.

Fundamentally, you’re meant to be safe. So trust your instinct and be open enough to say no. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t!

7) Everyone, everywhere basically wants the same thing

Everyone just wants validation, love, happiness, and hopes for a better future. The way they verbalize that and work towards it is where things branch off. But deep down we all have the same basic aspirations. You can relate to everyone in the world if you look past the superficial things that separate you.

8) There's no such thing as destiny and trust me, it's an excellent news!

Destiny is used as a cop-out and a standard reason why most people don't do something with their lives. The thing is, your limitations are not set by where you were born, what genes you have, how much money you have, how old are you, or other things that you can claim are your stamp of failure in life.

If you are determined enough, there's a shitload of opportunities in life that are achievable with minimal cash, regardless of who you are.

9) The Internet is the most powerful tool

The Internet is interactive and allows you to take part and become virtually social. It connects communities all over the world and without it, traveling and learning about cultures would have been much more difficult.

Always use it to enrich your life, but also it's extremely necessary to put a cap on how much we use it. Replacing one screen is just escaping the real world, which is much more beautiful.

10) Life is now. Make every day count

People always tell me how good it is to enjoy life when you’re young. I appreciate the sound advice, but also think you should make the most of the time you have no matter what age you are!

If travel is one of your true passions in life, make sure it has a consistent presence in whatever time you have left. I certainly will!

Exploring this amazing world and learning from the people in it is infinitely worthwhile to spend the days we have left.

Also, last but not least, always wear sunscreen 😂

Seriously. Protect your skin.

So, what do you think? Are any of these travel lessons relatable, or do they change the way you think about travel? What have you learned during your travels? Do you think travel is one of life’s greatest teachers?

Let me know in the comments below!