If you are planning on going on a long term travelling adventure around the world, then it’s best you know and understand these facts about travel beforehand!
Travel really is this weird and wonderful thing that has the power to change your life completely in so many positive ways.
From your character and personality, to your general views on many things and cultures, the life of travel and adventure really is a powerful and awesome experience which I highly recommend for each and every person.
It’s something which everyone, young and old, should do at least once in their lives.
And by travel I don’t mean a two week planned vacation to the Greek Islands.
I mean a proper travel experience.
You know, just you and your backpack on a one way flight somewhere you have never been before with no real plan and at least six months of time to figure out what you going to do!
That’s real travel, in my opinion.
Yes, I understand not everyone can do this type of trip at this point in time of their lives and that’s fine.
And no, travel is NOT for the rich, if you were thinking that.
Facts About Travel You Need To Know
I think everyone has their own idea of what it would be like to go travelling long term.
Some of these ideas are one hundred percent spot on accurate.
But a lot of the whole aura around travel isn’t that true.
Especially the real side of it. And by that I mean the fact that things can go wrong, and that it isn’t just an endless fairytale.
There are highs, there are lows.
Some days are exciting, others may feel a bit dull. Yet the whole experience all in all is awesome and life changing.
There just are a few things which everyone needs to be aware of before plunging into the travel lifestyle.
I think knowing these things beforehand will better prepare you for what’s ahead, and allow you to have a little bit of an expectation as to what is to come in your travels.
You may also be interested in these travel related articles:
- My top 5 European travel destinations for budget travellers
- 10 Money saving hacks for travel
- What is hostel life like?
- 10 Cheap things to do in Paris
- Why you MUST travel alone!
So, below are my 5 facts about travel you MUST understand before travelling the world.
I hope these are helpful to anyone looking at travelling, and remember travel is awesome!
So don’t let the fear of things going wrong prevent you from taking the plunge.
Facts About Travel #1: The Constant Holiday Vibes Don’t Exist
You know that feeling when you are on a short vacation somewhere warm with your family or friends? That feeling of being away from work and knowing you have a week or two of being able to just have fun and eat and drink everything and anything? Well that “holiday vibe” as I like to call it isn’t always there with long term travelling.
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of times where you are on a high and having the time of your life.
But what I mean is it isn’t a constant feeling of holiday or vacationing. There are days where things feel more like work and effort than an actual vacation. This took me a bit of time to get used to, particularly in the beginning of it all.
But it can be a good thing, too. It keeps your experience a bit more real and helps you grow as a person.
And that’s how it should be.
Facts About Travel #2: You Aren’t Untouchable
By this I mean please always remember you are NOT above the law, especially in the cheaper, third world countries.
I see it so often when abroad.
You will see westerners acting a bit out of hand. Drinking too much and causing a disturbance somewhere.
Remember, when you are in different cultures you have to respect whatever culture that is. Don’t go get piss drunk and yell at the locals or go vomit on the streets.
Try blend in as much as possible and not be that obnoxious tourist that everyone shakes their head at!
I know people who have been arrested, and it’s not fun and games when it happens to you abroad.
Facts About Travel #3: There Is Down Time. Get Used To It And Embrace It
Travel isn’t always just go, go, go! There is a lot of down time, and you could potentially get bored every now and then.
Know this and use the time to your best advantage.
It’s the best time to do nothing or to just be with yourself.
No, you don’t have to go into a monk like state and embrace the zen life completely. But just chill out a bit and enjoy the time with yourself.
Travel can be tiring at times, so whenever you find you are having some quiet time, use it to get some rest and recuperate yourself. Read a book, learn something new or just be alone with your thoughts.
When the time comes again where you are super busy, you would have wished you embraced the down time more! So make sure you put it to good use.
Facts About Travel #4: You Will Be Alone Quite Often. It Can Be Awesome!
I think before I ever went travelling, I had barely ever spent time by myself for longer than a few minutes!
Everyone I knew growing up, and myself included, saw being alone as a sad thing. It was something none of us ever wanted to do, and whenever I was alone for a few minutes I would start to feel a bit uncomfortable and awkward.
How that has changed, thanks to travelling!
You will often find yourself being alone. Be it at your hostel or backpackers, on a plane or train, or even going out for a meal.
Don’t worry, though!
I promise you you will love it after a while. And eventually you will begin to crave alone time.
Just know you will be alone at some point, but it’s the best thing ever and really allows you to grow as a person.
Are you one those of people who already feels comfortable being by themselves for long periods of time? Or are you still at that point like I was before travelling?
Facts About Travel #5: Stuff Will Go Wrong At Some Point
Oh yes indeed, stuff will go wrong!
There’s so much which can and will go wrong eventually when travelling.
Many things have not gone my way whilst travelling, such as:
- Bank cards not working abroad;
- Missing my plane, train or bus;
- Struggling to find accommodation;
- Misplacing passports or valuables;
- Physically hurting yourself;
- Trusting someone I shouldn’t have.
These things do happen. But it’s fine, trust me.
Believe it or not, you will manage to fix all the problems coming your way, one way or another.
Just relax and breathe!
Why You MUST Travel
I recently posted an article about the ten reasons you should travel. You can find that article here.
I will always and forever recommend travel to every person I meet.
You really do NOT have to be a certain type of person to do it. It’s for anyone and everyone and anything in between.
I know many people often tell me that they “are not adventurous enough” or that “travel is not within their budget” etc. This cannot be further from the truth.
There are many reasons to travel. Here are just a few which I have come up with:
- You learn to deal with stressful situations. This is so true! And the best thing is when you eventually get yourself into a situation and you calmly get your way through it all. Progress!
- It’s fun as hell! Duh. It’s friggin’ awesome, that’s why most of us struggle to stop once we start!
- You learn how to stretch a budget. Another good lesson to take from travelling and implement it into your normal, daily life. You’ll be amazed at how far you can sometimes manage to take a few Dollars.
- You build self-confidence. Probably the biggest thing I have taken from travelling. Self-confidence really can and does help you in every walk of life.
Can you think of any good reasons why we should travel? Maybe something from a personal experience which has had a positive impact on your life?
My Conclusion
If you are itching to get out there and change your life up a bit, then please do go and do it! No regrets, I promise.
Yes travelling, and the whole world out there can be scary. Things can go horribly wrong, and it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. But just know and accept that this can happen, and go for it!
Cheers,
Richard-T
