Making mistakes while traveling is inevitable. No amount of preparation will save you from the fact that if it can go wrong, it eventually will. You’ll definitely get lost, end up in the wrong place, and miss your train. You’ll accidentally make a crude gesture, or end up saying something wildly offensive. I am speaking from a lot of mistake-making experience. Things go wrong when you’re in a new country. Fortunately, each awkward encounter has made me a bit wiser and somewhat less likely to embarrass myself later. But there’s no reason for everyone to learn the hard way. I’m happy to share the top ten travel lessons that are the most significant I learned this last decade. (10 lessons for 10 years. What an unintentional coincidence.)

Top Ten Travel Lessons Learned by Trial and Error:

• Tech is a blessing – People talk about tech like it’s nothing but a social plague, whether that be at home or abroad. But, when I’m traveling, tech is not just a blessing. It’s THE blessing. Google maps?! Do you know where I would be without Google maps? I do not. I barely know where I am with Google Maps. People romanticize getting lost on winding, cobblestone streets in Europe, but let me tell you something. When that street isn’t even on the map, you will dream of Google Maps. And there are SO many other amazing apps and advantages of tech while traveling (and I’ll write about them soon!) Key take away: don’t dismiss tech as something that takes you away from your travels. It can actually make the experience much deeper.

• Pack less – I distinctly remember my first impromptu weekend trip with friends. I was studying abroad in Italy and we were going to Sorrento for three days. I took a comically large backpack with me. A full backpacking size pack. If you have not seen such a pack, this could easily fit one large toddler. I brought that kind of backpack. FOR THREE DAYS. Not only did I get mercilessly teased for that (which was fair,) I used less than half of what I packed, so I lugged around a very heavy bag for no reason whatsoever. Pack less. Much less. If nothing else, it leaves room for souvenirs.
• Street food is often the best food. Bratwurst in Vienna, pad thai in Thailand, crepes in France, miscellaneous noodle soup in Malaysia, scorpions in China…? Except for that last one, street food has never done me wrong. It’s cheap, it’s tasty and it is an amazing way to sit side-by-side with locals and get a feel for everyday life in a new country.

• Your travels don’t have to be “rugged.” I’m not sure where the idea that staying in nice hotels and taking direct flights is somehow inauthentic, but you don’t need to do things the hard way. The flight you take or the room you sleep in does not make your trip any more or less “authentic.” Be as comfy as your budget allows. You can see a country from a hotel just as much as you can from an AirBnB. You can also waste a trip in a hostel just as much as in a resort. Your discomfort has nothing to do with whether or not you “really” experience a country.
• Be open to destinations that aren’t at the top of your list. Jordan was never on my must-see list. It was, however, high on my boyfriend’s list, which is how I ended up there. And holy smokes. Jordan is one of my absolute favorite places I’ve visited. Lesson learned: you don’t always have to go to one of your top dream destinations. Some places that aren’t even on your radar can become the absolute best places you’ll ever visit.

• People are really kind. OK, the Chicagoan in me needs to let you know that obviously there are dicey people in the world. But also, people are impossibly kind. I have been carefully guided around a neighborhood when I’ve been lost, gently encouraged while stumbling in mediocre French, and cheered on by a ton of other tourists when I ate aforementioned scorpions in China. People are fun, they are kind, and they will make your trip. Be open to them.

• Solo travel is anything but lonely – if you stay in a hostel or bed-and-breakfast kind of spot, you will have a hard time finding a minute to yourself. Everyone says hello and things get chatty quickly. It’s fun, it’s like speed dating for friends, and you will definitely wonder what the hell is going on alongside the characters and odd-balls you meet along the way.
• You’ll get “templed-out.” This is not a technical term. Templed-out is my term for when you’re so burned out on one type of sight, every temple (or church, or museum) starts to look the same. It’s being so exhausted by sight-seeing and tourist-ing (not a real word either) that you don’t care at all about what you’re seeing anymore. So here’s the lesson: see just one or two of the “must see” temples (or churches or whatever.) Love and appreciate those. And then cruise onto something else you’re into. You didn’t endure an achingly long flight to wish you were doing something else.

• Go sooner – if you can afford to, if it will not blow up some part of your life, go now. There will never be a perfect time to travel outside your own borders. I don’t regret a single trip, but I do look back at how nervous I was about some things and wonder why I held myself back. There’s rarely a good reason. If you can, take the leap.
• Always pack a swimsuit – Regardless of my destination, I will always pack a swimsuit. I have needed it in a Canadian winter, and in Estonian springtime. Even if you don’t use the suit, it’s not bulky enough to make much difference in your suitcase. Trust me. Always pack a swimsuit

And here’s a bonus, that also happens to be the most important lesson I’ve learned: be careful not to brag.

Being able to travel, frequently or not, is an enormous privilege. I’ve met people who dream of traveling at some point in their lifetime. They get starry-eyed thinking about that one one-day trip. Even if you scrimp and save every year to make your one vacation happen, having been anywhere at all outside your country (hell, your home town) is a huge privilege. And it’s one to be grateful for. Be mindful not to shove that in anyone’s face. We all have different reasons for why we do, or do not, have and use our passports. 

I’m so grateful for this decade of strange and wonderful experiences. And for these ten travel lessons learned. Wherever the next decade leads, I’m looking forward to more adventure. As always, thank you for reading! And if you’d like to, you can subscribe below.