Travel is the Best Education Money Can Buy: 40 Lessons from Traveling Long Term

I have compiled a list of 40 things I have learned from traveling. Obviously, this list will probably continue to grow as I readjust to a non-nomadic life. It is a reflection of the past year, from setting off to our first destination to touch down at the Atlanta airport… I have learned more about myself and the world around me than I ever could have learned in a classroom. Although I was jealous of all the people we met and friends at home who are in pursuit or have completed a master's degree, I am glad we squandered our hard earned money and savings on such an amazing experience. If you are interested in traveling for the long-haul (meaning at least a few weeks/months) or setting off on a budget, here are some things that may help or inform you before embarking on your own awesome journey.

1. The majority of people in the world are good.

2. Be kind and generous to your hosts. You never know where your friendship will lead.

3. Stay with locals; AirBnB/Couchsurfing (carefully) > hotels. Hostels can be cool, if you have a good group of people there.

4. ALWAYS tip the people who clean up after you in your room. Housekeeping is a tough and thankless job.

5. Ask people about their story and listen attentively. People are amazing.. People you meet while traveling will surprise you.. We've met lawyers, architects, teachers, etc. who were doing the same thing as us, as well as locals who have endured more than we could imagine.

6. Smile a lot. It makes you seem more like a local and less like a tourist. Smiles translate all languages!

7. Don't always be paranoid about food in developing countries. OK, don't drink from the tap, but if you eat off the street, 90% of the time you will be fine!

Food from a stall on Chowpatty Beach, India

8. 80% of taxi drivers are not cool and will try to rip you off. Always go for the metered guys and be kind to the 20% who are rock stars.

9. Travel will change you, and none else will understand… It will hit you when you come home everything else is still the same.

10. Stay healthy while traveling. Running/walking is the best way to find hidden gems and cool stuff. Find a way to get your heart rate up, no excuses. You'll feel better for it. Personally, I had a travel yoga mat that I used, and got addicted to the 7 Minute Workout App on my phone. I did a few circuits everyday… and ran in every city we visited. Yep, every single one..it was pretty cool.

View from an early morning run in Prague, CZ

11. In extension to #10, buy a watch with a pedometer on it.. They can be as cheap as like $40, and you will surprise yourself at how much you walk. We were averaging 15 miles a day when we were too cheap to use public transportation or taxis in Europe.

12. Use booking sites before you get to your destination, if you opt for hotels/B&B/Guesthouses. Many times we've met people who ended up spending more when they just walked in to a hotel/hostel that wasn't as nice as ours, especially in Asia. I used Booking.com, Agoda.com, and HotelsCombined.com and got some really nice rooms for super cheap, especially when you are paying for 2 people. Often times we found hostels weren't the best deal, because you pay per person and you have a shared bathroom.

13. Use public transport - it's an experience (especially in Asia/South America) and it's cheap!

14. If there are lots of locals in a restaurant, that's where you should eat. Bypass TGI Friday's, Chili's and Applebee's. Yes, they are everywhere. Gross.

15. The world is so connected now, and not everyone is out to steal your iPhone. Chances are their phone is more advanced than yours. Be smart though, and keep track of your stuff.

16. Start conversations with strangers and fellow travelers. You never know who you will meet.

17. Facebook is an amazing tool to keep up with those cool people you meet. It's how we organized meeting up and staying with friends.

Thanks to Facebook, we met up with our college buddy we hadn't seen since 2005.
 We also reunited with my old roommate while in Italy, and were able to meet her cute little girls!
We also re-connected with travelers we had met in one place and ended up seeing later on down the road.

18. There will be many locals who will try to sell you stuff you don't want, like the guy selling fake RayBan's while you have sunglasses doing their job just fine on your face.. Get ready for it.

19. There will also be locals who just want to talk to you about life, or practice their English. Give them time, listen, and interact!

20. If anything, the most important words to learn are "please", "thank you", "hello", and "goodbye". It will show you respect those in the country you are visiting. 

21. Don't walk around with your face buried in your phone or iPad, especially in touristic sites. You look like a fool.

22. SmartPhones have made everyone everywhere a lot less spatially aware and polite.. It's universal, unfortunately..  BUT, they are helpful keeping in touch and finding things to do. Wifi is GOLD.

23. When in doubt or unsure what do visit/where to eat, consult Anthony Bourdain. If you're older and have lots of money, consult Rick Steves.

24. Long bus rides are an essential part of budget travel. Always do your research, and bring plenty of food and water. Understand that oftentimes, especially when crossing borders, passengers are an afterthought and cargo is king.

25. I'll reiterate.. Avoid American chains in foreign countries. McDonald's and KFC is just as gross as it  is at home and is ruining the planet. It's everywhere. (Except Iceland, where the McDonald's actually closed. Thank god)

26. It's okay to have days when you don't do anything but read books and watch movies. You don't do something exciting every day at home, do you?

27. Be observant of the countries you visit. Take it all in, take lots of pictures. Meet as many locals as you can.

28. Most of the world can speak some English. It's surprising and weird, but also very helpful.

29. Learn about the places you visit. A quick google or search on wikitravel.org will get you in the know.

We had to basically teach ourselves about the war in Bosnia since we hadn't learned about it in school, and were too young to remember what was going on at the time. After seeing the war-ravaged city Mostar still standing with bombed out buildings and debris around, we felt it was our prerogative to learn about their history so we can better understand the people who lived in this region. The same was for when we visited Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Laos. It's important to know the history of the places you visit to understand the culture.

30. Don't always go by the guidebook.

31. You will overpack. Be prepared to abandon some clothing at some point during your trip. Be kind and donate it to someone in need.

32. Travel builds confidence and communication skills. Yup-- dealing with the tuk-tuk drivers and people who just see dollar signs will help you grow a backbone and stand up for yourself.

33. Traveling takes a lot of planning, organization, problem solving skills, and stamina. Not everything will go as planned, but it is better to at least have a plan so you are not vulnerable to those who just see dollar signs.

34. While the majority of people in the world are good (as mentioned in #1) there are those who recognize a foreigner and will think you are a walking ATM. Don't let them take advantage of you.

35. When you get invited to do something with your host, a local, newfound traveler friends, just say yes… as long as you aren't breaking any laws, of course. 

36. Have your wits about you, use common sense, and you can go anywhere.

37. Get out in nature as much as you can. It makes you more connected to the world and those around you.

37. Food and beer in SEAsia is inexpensive and amazing. Soak it all in and take advantage of it while you can!

38. Really good wine is really, really cheap in Italy and around the Adriatic. Really good wine is really, really expensive back home. Take advantage of it while you can!

39. Choose your travel buddy wisely… We lived in each other's pockets for 9 months and still love each other lots lots lots.. You can't say that about everyone :) What we experienced, the good and the challenging, helped us grow and be stronger as individuals and as a dynamic duo.

40. Be. Open. Minded. ALWAYS. 

 I can't believe we are home for "good" now, and it's strange how easy it is to just go back through the motions. We are both looking for jobs right now, and trying to get back to Jacksonville so we can re-start our life together. There are still so many places we want to go, and now we know we can. We know with enough hard work and determination, we can go anywhere we want to go and live the life we want. Travel is empowering; it teaches you more about yourself than you could ever know. 

We are so lucky we were able to embark on this journey, and we know this is not the end. I definitely recommend anyone who is considering taking a leap to broaden your horizons and mind to do so.. We have no regrets, and although we are currently broke and getting on our feet at my parent's house, I know what we have done trumps working 9-5 everyday and going on cruises or with tour groups when we are retired. Travel when you are young.. you never know what lies down the road. If not now, when??? Could you hike that trail to the top of the mountain for the perfect picture in 10 years? 20? Will that brand new car or flatscreen TV make lasting memories? Chances are, they won't. Travel now and travel often.

Huanchaco, and volunteering at a surf hostel.

I am sitting in the bus terminal, prematurely. We had intended to stay in Huanchaco for 3 weeks... Then it dwindled to two.. Now, 12 days later, we are catching a night bus to Lima and heading home on June 2nd. It's bittersweet; while I want to keep traveling and seeing new places, I am also tired. We have been living out of a bag and adapting to new places, things, foods, faces since September, and it has taken it's toll on our bank account and on our stamina. I don't ever like to give up on things, but I think it's time to take a rest and have some stable ground for a while. Also, at this point, a stable job is essential.

Using the Workaway program (www.workaway.info) you can sign up and find places to volunteer your time, skills, energy, etc. all around the world. Throughout this whole trip, Paul has been wanting to find a beachside town and stay in a hostel and surf for a while. I found a perfect fit on Workaway.. A surf hostel in the city of Huanchaco, which is 10 hours north of Lima by bus. We coordinated with Julie, who runs the hostel, and made our way to a seaside paradise to exchange help around the hostel for free accomodation. What I learned from this experience is that running a hostel can be tough work. I will always tip housekeepers very generously from here on out. We had to wake up everyday before 7 and clean up the hostel for opening, take care of current guests, and prepare for new faces. Things I don't enjoy doing in my own home, like cleaning toilets or sweeping and mopping, I was doing everyday, sometimes multiple times a day. We were also charged with checking guests in and out, and running the bar. I can now say I have more experience in the hospitaliity field! 

Apart from working at the hostel, we were lucky to have a great group of people to hang around with while in Huanchaco. We had some familiar faces we had met before in Lima at our hostel and then re-connected with, and a bunch of new friends who were staying at the hostel. Huanchaco is a town geared around surfing, so naturally we rented a board to spend our afternoons in the water and join in the fun. At night time, we hung out with the guests in the hostel and shared some fun times together. Thursday nights were big in Huanchaco, and we all went out to another local hostel for live music and cheap beverages. 

The great thing about being in one place for an extended amount of time (in our trip, this translates to over 1 week) is that you get to know the locals and settle in to everyday life in one city. Everyday after our morning duties were completed, we walked to the market to buy fresh bread, eggs, fruits and vegetables. We would go to the same stall everyday, and our "market lady" would help us and sell us fresh stuff. Because we were familiar after a few days, by the last day of our stay in Huanchaco, we were getting the "cream of the crop" from her stall. I could tell she appreciated our daily business, because she would always smile when we walked into the market. It is so cool to build connections with local people, even when you are not proficient with the language.

We also had the "Palta Man" who would come to the hostel everyday with a box full of avocados and sold them for one Nuevo Sole a piece...If we saw the Palta Man out and about in the city, he would say "hola" to us. I ate fresh ripe mangoes and avocados everyday, and it was amazing. In addition to our daily delivery of avos, we also had Senor Cholito, who we would visit every few days to buy fresh natural yogurt that was homemade and came in a plastic bag. As with our market lady, after multiple visits to see Senor Cholito, he gave us a free mini pie. He was so interested in where we were from and what we did.. He was a real character, and I loved it.

Across from Senor Cholito, was a little shop where we would go for odds and ends, like Chicha Morada popsicles, bottles of water, the occasional Cusquena, or seasoning for the food we bought at the market. By the end of our stay in Huanchaco, we were saying adios and having a broken Spanish conversation with our Senora who helped supply our needs. I loved being able to walk to all our local people and get things we needed for that day.. I am going to miss being able to do that when we get back. Saying that, though, I thought our Publix manager Ken and most of his staff in Neptune Beach was just as friendly and happy to see us. It's the little things. :) I will miss walking everywhere, though.

We had planned to stay in Huanchaco until June 10th, but now we are flying home on June 2nd. It seems that our funds are in the "dangerously low" region, which is terrible, but I have no regrets. We have lasted 9 months on limited funds. For those who are curious, we left the US with around $24,000 in savings for 2 people. We also had a "bill fund" that we did not touch except to pay bills at home (life insurance, car insurance, car payment, credit card bills, etc.). I am proud to say we managed to make it this far, epecially since what we had put away is what most of the people we have met have for one person. We have been to 28 countries, including some of the most expensive in the world, seen amazing things, met incredible people, and had an absolute life changing blast. I'm ready to take a bow, as is Paul. We are prepared to begin a new life at home, with a better outlook on life. Today we were talking about what our life was like before we left, and to be honest I don't know how I didn't have a mental breakdown.. Working as a teacher, extended day staff, teaching yoga, studying for a CLEP test, and doing all the responsibilites of everyday life while saving and living on a tight budget. Paul, working all hours of the day coaching and personal training, sometimes working from 5 AM to 10 PM at night. All I know is when we get back, wherever my career takes me, I will have balance. I will still teach yoga, but I am not going back into the classroom at this point. This is all I know for now, and I know everything will work out okay. We have been through enough to know that in the end, everything will play out as it should. Our track record so far shows we have done just fine. :)

So back to the beginning we go, back to Lima. A trip cut short, but we still managed to circumnavigate the globe, and hit every continent on our original itinerary...this just means we have more places to explore in the future, and that's exciting. The world will always be there to wander. What is cool, though, is that now we have connections spanning the planet where we can go visit friends and make more memories. I'd like to thank those who helped form this experience, those who took us in and showed us life in foreign places... It's those experiences that made this trip life-changing and really means a lot to us.. I have so many mixed emotions now, and thinking of these people could make me well up! You all know who you are, and we love you!

My next post is a compilation of 35 (and probably will grow as I think of more) things long term travel has taught me. For those of you thinking of setting off for an extended amount of time, this may be helpful! Hasta luego!

Adios!

MC