6 Tips That Will Make You a Better Traveler

A few weeks ago, I talked about my travel goals for this year. A majority of these goals weren’t activities to do or places to see but steps I want to take to make myself a better traveler. I thought this week I would share some things I do when I travel that have made me a better traveler. These things have helped me be more confident, present, and adventurous while I travel, and I hope they can do the same for you.

1. Don’t be afraid – People tend to be really vocal when something bad happens. There aren’t many stories out there about someone’s awesome vacation where everything went great getting tons of attention. I think sometimes this stops people from visiting truly amazing places. I’ve always tried to read about a destination from every angle. The fact is, people are mostly good. Don’t get stuck on the stories that scare you. Find the stories out there that inspire you and make you homesick for a place you have never been. Be safe when you travel but don’t cut yourself off from the adventure.

2.  Say yes – Want to go on a road trip? Do you want to try the worm cake? Would you like to hold the snake? Are you ready to jump? All of these are questions that I’ve been asked. I’ve said yes to them all. Just say yes. It’s the jumping off point for so many of my adventures and it can be for you too.

3.  Get up and go – Even when you’re tired. Even when you were up till midnight and breakfast is at 7am. Even when you’re jetlagged or homesick. Get up and go. You’ll regret the time you wasted when you’re back home at 6am on a Monday dreaming about the beignets you could have eaten.

4. Pack Less – I struggle with this one. A lot. The best system I’ve come up with so far is to pack everything I think I need and then get rid of half of it. It’s very liberating to travel with so few things. I really enjoyed this during my time in Australia. I packed one suitcase for the 4 months I was there, and I never found myself missing anything. So next time you take a trip, try it out.

5. Plan time to do nothing – This is an important one. You need time to do nothing. Plan a day to sleep in or lay around and read. Plan this time because otherwise, you won’t do it. You’ll keep going and doing and then you’ll hit the wall. You’ll be so tired and cranky that you can’t keep going. So, plan the time to do nothing. Give yourself a break and everything will run a lot smoother.

6.  Choose Kindness – You always have a choice. In every interaction, you can choose to be kind. If you start from a place of kindness everything else will follow. Tourists get labeled as obnoxious and disrespectful and rude. But if you start with kindness, you’ll get a whole lot further in your adventures. You’ll meet more friends and see more amazing places. Being kind is such an easy way to make yourself better, not just as a traveler, but as a person