10 Life Lessons I Learned Traveling That Changed My Life

Here are important life lessons I learned traveling. These life lessons changed my life and have made me the person I am today. Here are 10 life lessons.

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To travel is to learn. When you travel, you’re not only having the time of your life, you’re learning more about yourself, others and the wonderful world around you. Here are 10 life lessons I learned from travelling which not only help when travelling, but in everyday life.

1- Expect the unexpected

Things aren’t always as you think they may be; but accept what they are and learn to love it. When travelling, the unexpected happens all the time, and it’s all just part of the wild adventure you’re on.

2- It’s okay not to have a plan (or to ditch the plans you’ve made)

Sometimes you just need to wing it. It’s okay to book a ticket and go somewhere for the day, a week, a month. You don’t need to have concrete plans all the time. Sometimes the adventures made at the last minute are the most rewarding and fun ones. Also, if you don’t want to do the thing you’ve planned for that day- don’t do it! This is YOUR journey, YOUR trip, do what you love and enjoy it!

3- You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have the best experience (Sometimes, less is more)

Staying at an Air BnB, in a hostel, or a share home can save your money and provide you with some of the best experiences. The people you meet are genuine and you spend less money on good experiences and generally great accomodation. Also, contrary to some belief, street food is good food. Another bonus is that it doesn’t cost a lot of money, its authentic and packs a lot of flavour and is made by locals who know their stuff.

4- A bad experience can almost always be turned in to a good one! (A positive attitude can be your best asset.)

Always look at the bright side of a situation and try and learn something from the experience. Although the experience may seem bad at first, you can always learn from it. Remember to try and remain positive, the experience will be better for it in the end.

5- Not everything will go to plan and that is okay!

Don’t be disheartened when something doesn’t go the way it should have, these things happen. Take these experiences as learning curves for next time, take mishaps in your stride and have a funny anecdote up your sleeve for your next family dinner. There is no use complaining or getting down in the dumps about things you cannot control.

6- Be open minded and try new things!

When you travel it’s a good idea to immerse yourself fully within the culture to get the best experience. Be open minded about trying new things as they might surprise you. Also, this way, you get the most incredible experience possible and you can come back with some amazing stories.

7- Budget yourself enough that you don’t have to worry about limiting yourself on things you really want.

Make sure you establish a good budget before you depart! There is nothing worse than going somewhere and missing out on something you really wanted because you didn’t save enough for spending money.

8- No amount of worrying will change anything.

This one is a biggie. Worrying about possessions being taken, spending money you really shouldn’t have, or forking out more money because something has gone wrong, are all very real problems which may happen when travelling. Sometimes you just should shake the worries away and get on with it. Travelling can be stressful but worrying, crying or stressing out do not solve these problems, they just make them worse.

9- Patience is key.

Travelling taught me how to be patient. Often, you’re stuck on long haul flights, always moving from place to place, and waiting in long lines. However, patience is a skill you can use in everyday life – the tip is to not rush things. Because when you rush, you miss out on things, and sometimes they can be the experiences you love the most.

10- Enjoy life and live it to the fullest.

This one is sort of self-explanatory, but basically, just go out there and enjoy yourself. Live your life to the fullest, have a blast and come back with incredible and life-changing memories. One day you’ll look back on life and realise that the money spent on good adventures, the time taken to enjoy the small things and the overall experiences had, made your life truly amazing. Don’t let life pass you by, because in the end, you only regret the things you didn’t do.