You know I love traveling.
It’s exhausting and fulfilling at the same time and you will learn a lot of things. This year alone I’ve been to Brussels, Zürich, Interlaken, Bern, Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, Montreux, and a whole lot more places.
On the internet I see a lot of cliches about traveling and how it makes you more zen and improves your mental health — that could be all true, but here’s a list of 18 realistic lessons about travel that I learned in 2022.
Let’s go.
- Nothing will go according to plan. Having alternative solutions is good, but flexibility is better.
- Traveling doesn’t set your mind free; staying away from your busy life does.
- You should read while you travel; when I’m sitting on a train, I love reading while staring outside every once and a while.
- You have to be careful where you put your stuff. In crowded places, people can steal your small bags easily.
- You need a mindset shift if you don’t want to plan your trips in detail.
- Always carry some cash, you will regret it if you don’t. (See this)
- Get the local transport apps on your phone.
- If you’re dependent on coffee, drink at least one a day. (Especially in the morning when you have a long day ahead of you)
- You will make random friends.
- Expect to spend a lot of money on food.
- When you’re traveling by train in Germany, you will have delayed trains in the summer.
- If you want to swim in Switzerland, bring proper swimming gear (i.e. swimming shoes), all lakes are covered in slippery stones at the bottom (which hurts).
- You need breaks; don’t travel non-stop.
- Stop spending time on your phone capturing the whole journey and enjoy it a bit more.
- Preparing for sleeping in and being late doesn’t matter as long as you have a backup plan.
- You will meet Dutch people. (they’re everywhere)
- It’s super refreshing to take a deep dive into cold water when you’re tired and especially when you’re traveling all day.
- You will realize that nature is so beautiful and that you should take some more time to take a look at it once you’re back home.
Final thoughts
While there are a lot of people that hate to spend their free time traveling because it’s “stressful”, you should do it if you’re totally into it like me.
By traveling in 2022, we can escape our daily lives and realize how beautiful the world is.
You will develop beautiful memories and experiences by meeting other cultures, people, and cities — broaden your horizon and step on that plane, train or step into your car and explore the world or even your own country.
Now that I’m back at home I can enjoy walking through the countryside.
That’s something many more should try.