I struggled to define myself. Was I a vagabond? An unemployed 20-something with no future?
The last 16 months of my life have been spent wandering.
After graduating from college, like many of my peers I had no real clue as to what to do with my life. I did what anyone with an insatiable travel bug would do and took off to an exotic destination to teach English.
The exotic destination quickly turned into a mundane daily rhythm that was full of obstacles, frustrations and existential questions. At the end of my contract, the travel-bug and existential questions were still there. I kept traveling.
I struggled to define myself. Was I a vagabond? An unemployed 20-something with no future?
Life lessons are the most important thing we can bring back with us from our travels
Some people made me feel like I needed to define a goal for myself, so that all this traveling and wandering would lead to something concrete. In trying to quell their concerns, I realized that I really didn’t have an answer about my goals.
Three continents, several undeveloped rolls of film and one minor leg burn later, I’ve learned that what I was doing all of this time was defining myself as a human being; in finding my niche as a traveler I was learning how I wanted to live.
Now, as I try to establish a normal routine in my home country, I hold onto lessons from the road. They are my support system, reminding me of who I am and where I have been.
Here are 4 of the most important life lessons I learned while traveling.
1. Focus on the “now”
When the path ahead of us is unclear, it’s easy to question what we are doing with our lives. Western society teaches us that we should go to school and get on a career path.
But some of us want some time off in between school and careers. Yes, we all want great jobs where we feel good about the work we do, but some of us want to postpone, and in some cases escape, the 9-5 lifestyle.
For those of us destined to walk down this path, it’s inevitable that others will ask questions:
- “So what exactly are you doing on this trip?”
- “What do you expect to do when you get back?”
- “Don’t you have a five year plan?”
These are all questions that you do not need to have an answer to - remember that it’s OK to just travel for the sake of travel.
There is plenty of time in life to follow schedules and make five year plans, but traveling is about taking a breather from high intensity, stressful society and relearning how to focus on the present. This teaches you to deal with life on a day to day basis.
2. Embrace the ordinary
Being open to possibility is the only thing that allows us to move forward. Often we find that the reality of travel is very different from our dreams. Yet without those illusions about the traveling lifestyle, we may never have had the courage to hit the road in the first place.
Talk to anyone who has studied, traveled or worked abroad and they will tell you about the difference between glamorous expectations and normal everyday routines.
Traveling is about breaking out of our own personal boundaries.
When we travel for extended periods of time we see that not everything is as exotic first thought. Television ads in a foreign country may seem weird as long as we hear them in that foreign language, but as soon as we get a sense of the language, the ads seem as absurd as anything at home.
Long-term travel is not about constantly seeking the extraordinary, but coming to terms with the ordinary itself. It’s about learning to appreciate the simpler moments that everyday life offers.
3. Push your comfort levels
Traveling is about breaking out of our own personal boundaries. No matter the length of time, be it one week or a whole year, just being in a new place forces us to push ourselves.
We are obliged to memorize a string of strange sounding words just to order a simple coffee, master new public transportation systems, learn how to use unfamiliar toilets and ask for directions by way of body language, pictures and the common language of laughter.
In new places we want to be able to handle the situation, and so we force ourselves to learn.
Returning home after a trip often seems boring compared to our recent experiences; because in a new place we are constantly succeeding in conquering new situations. Recreating that feeling is therefore a matter of finding situations that push us as human beings, be it with a job, seeking knowledge or in our personal relationships.
4. Stay flexible
If travel teaches us anything at all, it’s that an itinerary can change at the drop of a hat. Buses break down, hurricanes roll in and travelers get sick.
Being a good traveler means always having a backup plan or being ready to think of one. My difficulty with the five year plan was because I am always ready to do something different.
In our travels we can never predict the future, and the same holds true for our “regular” lives back at home. Staying flexible allows us to achieve what we truly believe in even if that means sailing off course.
It allows us to push our boundaries and move beyond what we, and others, think is possible.
What life lessons have you learned through travel? Please contribute to the discussion by leaving a comment below!
Anna Brones has a love of culture, foreign languages and good food. When she is not on an adventure she spends quality time in her native Pacific Northwest. Her writing has appeared in Transitions Abroad, A Woman’s World Again and Matador Travel. Her personal travel writing endeavors can be found at Intercrossings. About the Author
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13 Comments... join the discussion!
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Thanks Elizabeth. I agree on the McDonald’s thing; a tip that I learned from my father very early on!
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Anna, thanks for the thought-provoking post.
I’ve learned many things but two stand out: I learned to feel the fear and do it anyway, and I learned to detach from ‘things’.
The fear thing wasn’t really my doing - I would find myself in difficult or scary situations and mostly I would have little choice. These ranged anywhere from taking local buses in Tanzania (terror provoking, especially at night) to sleeping outdoors in southern Africa (I was cursorily warned that lions roamed nearby) to having to eat bushmeat (yes, wild rodent) to survive. I learned I could be afraid of things but still do them. And come out the other side.
Another thing I learned was to shed physical things. I used to think I needed to prepare for every eventuality while traveling - the perfect backpack, the perfect clothing, the perfect gear. Not so. I once left home with 25kg in my backpack (55lb), all of it absolutely essential, or so I thought. A year out, my pack was down to 11kg (24lb). Those ‘things’ weren’t that important after all.
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Travel taught me that there is a different way to live, no need to spend decades managing a career, working towards some materialistic reward, when all I need is really right here in the present. Or, as you very nicely said, “coming to terms with the ordinary itself.”
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This post pretty much sums up the situation I have been in since I graduated college. Like you, I had no solid plans as to what I wanted to do, aside from travel, and that’s what I did for a year. When I came back, all I could think about was traveling again. And now, a few years later, I still don’t have a career (aside from freelance writing) but continue to travel when I have the funds. I don’t regret any of the traveling I’ve done because I’ve learned so much that I would never have learned at home. The most important lesson is that life doesn’t unfold the same way for everyone, which I’ve learned through the people I’ve met through my travels. I’ve also learned to appreciate my home for what it is, rather than wish it were something else.
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Thank you, Anna–This post was just what I needed to confirm my sanity. (I also sent a link to my mother, so that she could see that I am not the only kid about to graduate with a degree in journalism who doesn’t know what she’s doing in life.) I have been reading travel writer’s stories since high school, and it seems that some of us were just born to live the vagabond life… for a while, at least!
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After being asked for the umpteenth time, “What are you going to do when you’re done?” this post was a nice reminder that travel for the sake of travel and learning is more than OK and just enjoy the present. Thank you, Anna.
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Thanks for all your comments. Sometimes we do all need a reminder that what we are doing is ok! And I am glad that Renee sent a link to her mother… parents need reminding as well.
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Thought-provoking piece.
What life lessons have you learned through travel?
The first time I travelled on my own I learned a very important lesson: TRAVEL/EXPLORATION is what I want to do with my life! I’m not like normal people; I don’t really care about careers, houses, cars, so I shouldn’t spend all my time and energy pursuing those things. If I really cared, then yes I should pursue them. But I just don’t.
In between trips, unfortunately, I tend to get distracted, and start thinking maybe I should spend money on a bigger apartment, a better computer, nicer furniture etc. Creature comforts. But I resist those temptations by getting away at least once a year and each time I’m reminded: YES, this is what is really worth while — learning about other fascinating parts of the world, exploring new places, discovering art, nature, and the wonders of other cultures. How do I know it’s right for me? Because I’ll be staying in a tiny stripped-down dorm or dodgy hostel thinking: I’m incredibly happy!! DESPITE my minimalist surroundings. Sure, I’d appreciate the “comforts of home” but these other joys are WAY more important.↵ -
Anna, this was written at the perfect time for me to read it; thank you for reminding me.
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Thank you truly for writing this, because just like many others I am one who is unsure of what I want to do with my life. Even though I am only in high school I know that I want to travel to get away for a little while, for I need some time by myself to get to know myself.
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I thoroughly agree. Every bit of it.
I work a 9-to-5 job right now (after numerous trips abroad to study and volunteer), and although I can’t say I hate it (which is pretty much what I said about my three previous jobs since graduating college less than two years ago), I don’t love it. I know this isn’t what I want for my life. Gotta get back to traveling as soon as I can, but the game plan is also quite important.
I was thinking about what I could add to the discussion to really…ya know…increase the value. And I must say keeping in touch with the people we meet abroad after returning “home” is crucial to prove to ourselves that what happened abroad wasn’t just some exotic dream but something grounded in concrete reality.
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Awesome post, I can totally relate to you. I especially like when you said, “long-term travel is not about constantly seeking the extraordinary, but coming to terms with the ordinary itself. It’s about learning to appreciate the simpler moments that everyday life offers.” =D
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