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10 Things I Learn From Travelling | Europe | StolenInspiration.com | NZ Travel Blog
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10 Things I Learnt From Travelling

  • March 17, 2017
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10 life lessonsย I Learnt While Travelling

 

 

 

 

So, what 10 things did I learn from travelling? Well let me start by saying there are a lot of people who consider travelling asย a defining point in your life; justified by personal anecdotes and cheesy quotes overtop of some landscape image. You know, an โ€œEat, Prey, Loveโ€ type scenario. Iโ€™m not one of these people. For this reason, Iโ€™m going to try to keep it as real (and without a side of cheese) as possible.

If you havenโ€™t kept up with my other travel posts: Iโ€™ve returnedย home from six months of roaming around Europe in December after I quit my job. I travelled with friends, family and solo throughout my time there and I had intended to live in London post travel. Now, Iโ€™m back hiding out at home in New Zealand until I make my next move.

10 Things I Learn From Travelling | Europe | StolenInspiration.com | NZ Travel Blog1. Youโ€™ll forget all your โ€œwhat ifs?โ€

Iโ€™ve moved around a lot in the past 5 years within New Zealand and I’ve carried around a string of โ€˜what ifsโ€™ around with me from place to place. You know, the nagging 3AM thoughts that keep you from sleep.

“Should I haveย givenย it another go with him?โ€ โ€œWhat if I had stayed in my job?โ€ โ€œshould I have saved my money instead?โ€

Travelling made me realise how easy it is to romanticise a situation, especiallyย whenย your family and friends get involved. All it took was one “your job seemsย amazing” to start questioningย all the reasons why I’dย decided to leave in the first place.

Distancing myself from the opinions I’d let influence my own killed anyย uncertainty. It didn’t take me longย to forget about what Iโ€™d left behind or realise that theย situationsย were never as good as I had remembered.

Besides, I was having far too much fun living in the moment and by my own rules. And there were many more boys to replace the what if sitting at home!


10 Things I Learn From Travelling | Europe | StolenInspiration.com | NZ Travel Blog

2. You’ll figure out what really gets you going

When everything is new andย you know no one, you figure out quickly what you crave from other people… in personality.

When you’ve been travelling a while you get sick of the usual questions like “where have you been?” “where are you from?” “where are you going next?”

It doesn’t take long to skip the small talk and to go deep. I once went to breakfast and said a polite ‘Hello’ to the American girl across from me after sitting in silence eating for 10 minutes. Next thing you know itย was three hours later and we’d talked about everything from what podcasts we’d been listening to, to why a lot of American’s don’t valueย travelling abroad.

I realised how much I value open-mindedness in a person, how I gravitate towards those with a slightly sarcastic sense of humour and laid back in nature.

10 Things I Learn From Travelling | Europe | StolenInspiration.com | NZ Travel Blog
3. You’ll learn to love being single

I’ll be the first to admit that 23 years of theย single life can feel a little bleak – especially when you can relate to every single girl meme that pops up on your Facebook feed. And, your loved up friends tag you in all of them.

Travelling single at 23, however, feltย like winning the lottery. I was there to do what I wanted and experience what I had set out to without compromising withย other people.ย Basically, I didn’t have to care for anyone else and when you’re in a foreign place that’s a bigger burdenย than what you’d expect.

I had a friend that woke up in the wrongย place after a night out and hoped that “nothing happened”. I also had a friend that had to book everything because their partner couldn’t manage.

That’s a whole lot of stress, annoyance and resentment that I avoided. After all, if anything went wrong I only had myself to blame and that was something I could live with.

10 Things I Learn From Travelling | Europe | StolenInspiration.com | NZ Travel Blog4. You’ll discover your limits & Values

Of course, while discovering what you want from other people you’ll also discover what you don’t. And I’ve never felt more like a feminist in my life.

The one thing Iย really took for granted in New Zealand’s societyย is how men treat women. Yes nothings perfect, but for the most part we have it pretty good because our society tries to treatย us equally.ย More than a few times while I ย travelled I encountered men that treated me like a sexual object or a “stupid women” without intelligenceย or feelings.

One guyย as a way of ‘flirting’ gave me a compliment with a side ofย insults, relieved by more compliments in a sort of manipulation game of tug-of-war. Another helped me out only to thinkย it was his right to lecture me on how stupid I was.

All the while I couldn’t help feelingย so sorry for the poorย women in the world thatย have been brought up thinking this treatment is okay and normal.

Needless to say, I left them both on bad terms.ย 

ย 10 Things I Learn From Travelling | Europe | StolenInspiration.com | NZ Travel Blog

5. Travelling is cheaper than you’d expect

Before I left for Europe everyone liked to remind me how expensive it is over there. “The GBP is practically double NZD” was drilled in to me before I’d even set a budget. Yes this is true,ย butย the difference between being a tourist and traveller is what makes all the difference.

Travellers save money on food and accommodation to experience more, tourists spend money on hotel packages to have a holiday.

The thing about Europe is that yes, it’s more expensive than say Asia, and flights overย are expensive but it’s cheaper than New Zealand in almost every way possible. Iย lived on my 1โ‚ฌ packs of nectarines, 25โ‚ฌ flights between countries and 10โ‚ฌ a night accommodation. The thing is, I couldn’t even get to Auckland for less than $90. So basically, coming from New Zealandย makes everything else seem cheap.

10 Things I Learn From Travelling | Europe | StolenInspiration.com | NZ Travel Blog6. You’re plans will change and that’s okay

This is a big one since I had intended on settling down in London once I’d finished my travelling, and I hate feeling like I “gave up” but I quickly found out it’s worth changing your plans if you’re not happy.

When people ask me why I left London, Iย find myself saying the same thing every time:

“I had a great social life, lots of friends and heaps to do – I just didn’t like the place.”

Shock horrorย I know because pretty much everyone I know that’s been there loves it. I justย didn’t like London’s ‘vibe’. While I explored a bit of the English country side I felt theย entire time like I was trying to love something that just wasn’t me. I even gave Londonย another shotย when I returned andย lived there for a month.

Then I went to Amsterdam for a weekend and it dawned on me:

Englandย isn’t for me.

Amsterdam has all the similar features such as the sun sets at 4:30pm in the Winter, it’s cold and it’s busy – but I love this city. I love how people bike everywhere, how friendly everyone is and how laid back it feels. I didn’t have to try to love the place, I just did.

So yeah, plans change for a reason and even though London was the originalย idea I don’t think you should feelย pressured into staying just because it wasย what you thought you’d do.

There’s a reason people try before they buy!

ย 10 Things I Learn From Travelling | Europe | StolenInspiration.com | NZ Travel Blog

7. You can be whoever you want to be

Not necessarily exclusive to travelling, but definitely a little easier considering you’re in a situation where most people don’tย know you.

Travelling gives you the opportunity to scope out what you really enjoy or explore what you have always wanted to without worrying about what your friends and family might think. You want to climb mountains in Norway? Do it. You want to topless sunbathe in France? Do it. You want to take salsa classes in Spain? Why the hell not?ย (Wish I did this in by the way)

Or you could be like me, pretend you’re a different person for the night and decide you’ll only speak french to a guy in Spain just to seeย what he’d do.

Anyway, it’s fun to try new things and especially when you’re “free” as they say to experiment without anyone to remind you of your failure.

Or remind you that the Spanish guy did speak french and you don’t..

10 Things I Learn From Travelling | Europe | StolenInspiration.com | NZ Travel Blog

10 Things I Learn From Travelling | Europe | StolenInspiration.com | NZ Travel Blog
8. Your travel friends are for life

If together you can survive hours of navigating trains in different languages, walking endlessย kilometres in the wrong direction and sooo much hanger – you can survive anything.

they’re the peopleย you trust to stop you from hopping on the wrong bus, while you stop them from leaving their drink bottle behind. They’re there when littleย issuesย feel huge. The ones thatย push you in to trying new foodsย and the ones that make sure you get homeย after a night out.

I was lucky enough to travel with two of my best friends from university at times while I was in Europe and after everything we’ve been through they feel like they’re part of my family, not just my friends.

I can safely say that every argument was caused by hanger – yes, it’s really a serious thing when travelling – and so many of my favourite memories ever I’ve sharedย with them.

At the end of the day, if you can survive travelling with friends they’ll probably be your friend for life. It’s definitely not an easy road and things always go wrong but I think all the bumps along the way make for a stronger relationship.

In my experience, travelling together is an experience soย rare thing that makes so many of your other friendships fall flat in comparison.ย 

10 Things I Learn From Travelling | Europe | StolenInspiration.com | NZ Travel Blogย 9. people aren’t out to be bad

The news and current events makes it hardย to trust that most people are actually kind and generous – and it’s probably the most important thing I learnt while travelling. In fact, all that I ever hear on the news these days seems to be something bad that’s happening in a different country and it’s all anyone ever warns you of when you’re about to go travelling.

I experienced nothing but kindness (and maybe a little strangeness) while I travelled and I can recount several times when people went out of their way to help me.

  • The time when a couple paid for our beers because Shelby and I didn’t have the right change, “can’t leave two fellow alcoholics without drinks”.
  • When aย couple took me home at midnight from Alexanderplatz station in Berlin because I couldn’t remember the name of my stop.
  • The time a girl ordered me an uber because I was lost in London without my phone.
  • The man who paid for my ferry when I missed my Sail Croatia boat.
  • The man that gave Sam and I freeย mangos.
  • The guy at the hostel that didn’t speak any english but insisted on orderingย Shelby and I pizza.
  • The couples that gave me free Paris and Milanย train passes.

10 Things I Learn From Travelling | Europe | StolenInspiration.com | NZ Travel Blog10. Just because it lasted a moment doesn’t mean it isn’t worth its weight in gold

If travel has taught me anything, it’s to appreciate the moment for what it is, even if it was fleeting.

The thing is, there’s no guarantee you’re going to meet people who you continue to travel with. No guarantee that you’re going to meet the love of your life. No guarantee you’re not going to find yourself waking up on a beach one day.

Your life when travelling changes so quickly that you have to learn to appreciate a momentย for what it is. You have to know that you’ll probably never be in the same situation again.

The excitement of a little three-day fling or the thrill of breaking into a theme park. The confusion of how you managed to end up inย another town on a night out – these are all experiences that I’llย treasure forever. The feeling I get when I remember these moments, there’s nothing like it.

Kind of like when they sayย “I’m here for a good time, not a long time”

– that’s travelling.

ย 10 Things I Learn From Travelling | Europe | StolenInspiration.com | NZ Travel Blog

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2 comments
  1. sara nena says:
    March 18, 2017 at 10:21 AM

    you’ll open your mind

    http://7-sevendays.blogspot.it/

    Reply
  2. ivanasworld says:
    March 21, 2017 at 12:22 AM

    This is a really great post ๐Ÿ™‚ I love traveling ๐Ÿ™‚ The world is like a book ๐Ÿ™‚
    http://www.ivanasworld.com

    Reply

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