Travelling is a dream! Foreign, faraway countries have fascinated me for as long as I remember and being able to travel for work makes me the happiest girl in the world. Travel hasn’t only enriched my life in many, it has also taught me many lessons. Of which some had to be learnt the hard way and definitely aren’t so glamorous.
1. Independence
Thinking you’re independent and actually being it. Ha! Quite a difference. In your safe environment where there’s always something or someone to fall back on, feeling independent is easy. Travelling puts that whole notion of how independent you really are in question. What do you do stranded on an airport in the middle of the night? How well do you cope in situation where your credit card suddenly refuses you? The way your react in nerve-wrecking situations and how well you’re able to take decisions accordingly says a lot about how independent you are.
2. Be Social
Sure, social skills are something you learn over the years regardless of where you are in the world. Travelling however takes being social to the next level! You meet so many people from different backgrounds, countries and religions making social skills even more important. Truth is also that while you’re travelling, you often need help or advice from others meaning that you need to know how to talk to people!
3. We are all the same
We think we’re all super unique and ofcourse we are in some ways. Truth is that after seeing so many different countries and meeting so many people from all over the world, I’ve come to one conclusion: we’re all mostly the same when it comes to the things that ‘matter’. We all struggle. We all have worries. We’re all looking for love, a feeling of security and recognition from others. Yep. The struggle is real. It’s eye opening to see we’re not alone though.
4. Appreciate more
If you haven’t seen much of the world yet, it’s easy to think the grass is always greener elsewhere. Or at least that always was the case for me. After seeing so many different countries and travel non-stop for more than a year now, a new appreciation for my life at ‘home’, friends and family has grown on me.
5. Enjoy life
Before and during our 2 months of travel in the Caribbean and Central America we worried about so many things. Did we have all the visa? Will we find the right flights at the right time? How about accommodation? The truth is this: everything turned out fine. The only regret? Not having enjoyed it more, not having lived in the moment more. Always remember that before you know it, it’s over. Grab those experiences and beautiful moments with both hands and don’t stress. Whatever will be, will be. Worrying about things going wrong isn’t going to decrease the chances of it actually happening. Just ENJOY!
