While I’ve garnered some wisdom in my travels about how you should NOT travel (part one and part two), I’ve also managed to learn a few things that make traveling so much better. I bring you…how you SHOULD travel!
1. I’ve said this before, but you should bring peanut butter. It’s a magic food, that will make you new friends and bring you a taste of home when you’re surrounded by fish sauce in say, Thailand. Not that there’s anything wrong with fish sauce, but sometimes a girl (or guy!) just needs some peanut butter when everything else is unfamiliar.
2. Stop worrying about your hair. There will always be a place somewhere in the world that makes your hair go wild. Unless you’re one of those people with perfectly straight, perfectly shiny hair that takes no effort…then you shouldn’t worry about your hair. Ever. Do you exist?
3. Take a blanket, scarf, pair of socks, warm sweater, something on the plane. Trust me.
4. Do jumping jacks in the tiny plane bathroom. Your non-swollen feet will thank you. It’s worth the strange look the flight attendants will give you.
5. Perfect selfies are boring. You should take fun ones because they are guaranteed to make someone smile whenever they’re pulled out. Either you, or your travel buddy, your kids, your grandkids, or the myriad of other family members or friends you make sit through your travel slideshow.
^^no, it’s not a cute selfie. but it reminds me of my absolute exhilaration at meeting an elephant which is way better than looking cute! because, elephants.
6. You should try a weird food wherever you go. You may find something you never thought you would have loved! And if not…that’s what the peanut butter is for!
^^this was a birthday cake we had in China. and yes, there are tomatoes and olives on it!!
^^Sichuan hotpot. I’ve never tasted anything as spicy (or nearly as delicious!) as that killer Sichuan oil. (that’s why it’s orange!)
7. You should pinch your pennies. But you should also know when not to pinch your pennies. You will probably be getting ripped off for a nicer toilet, but sometimes in the middle of the night on a bus and pee sloshes onto your foot as you try to relieve yourself…well let’s just say I wish I’d paid those extra two dollars.
8. You should learn a few words or phrases in the local language. There will likely be locals who immediately hate you for being a tourist, but there are also the jolly locals that will immediately be your best friend, recommend the best hole-in-the-wall food spots, and take a video of you trying to speak Thai. If nothing else, you feel totally awesome when you can order one thing in that language and IT WORKS.
9. You should take a lot of extra underwear. Because you never know.
10. You should make copies of everything.
11. You should write some things down. Even if it’s just a few sentences, a list of things you don’t want to forget, pretty things you saw, weird things you saw. You will love it later and be mad when the memories fade. Be warned, though, that you will end up with some sentences that won’t trigger a memory and will not make sense. But that’s okay, because the rest of them will!
12. Most of all? Just go! Travel across the seven seas, travel to an unknown spot in your backyard, travel to a town an hour away. You will never regret exploring a little more.
^^trust me, young grasshoppers.
Linking up with Treasure Tromp!
