Travel has many benefits. It stimulates our imaginations, broadens our perspectives and introduces us to new cultures. But it can also feel overwhelming. With so many resources, how do you find time to explore and experience new things? To help you enjoy your travels in the most authentic way possible, here are 9 practical tips that will help you break any travel routine and connect with the world around you.
Be flexible
Traveling is often an excuse to escape from our daily lives and leave our worries behind, but it doesn’t have to be a permanent escape. Instead of always trying to squeeze in one more trip before you have to go back to work, it may be helpful to try a few different strategies to ease the transition. Set up a budget for your trips, and find ways to incorporate your work into your travel plans so that you don’t have to completely cut yourself off from your life and your responsibilities. Certain things might also be easier to work around during your travels, or you may have time to do other things that you normally wouldn’t have the time for back home.
Be present
Travel can be an amazing opportunity to connect with the world and yourself, but it can also be a time where we forget ourselves and the important things in life. To stay present while traveling, it’s important to take care of yourself. If there’s a thing you need to do while you’re away, make sure you do it while you’re still there—by phone, Skype, or in person. Don’t wait until you’re on a plane or in a hotel room to return a call or meet for a coffee. Make time for yourself, especially when you’re traveling. Take care of yourself by eating well, getting rest and relaxation, and spending time with people who are important to you while you’re there. When you’re away, it may be easy to forget these things, but they’re important when you’re back home.
Be curious
Once you’re settled into your new life in a new country, you may find that the first thing you want to do is explore the city or country itself. The best way to do this is to start small and explore what’s around you. Walk around the city you’re in, and explore the streets and intersections around you. Explore the neighbourhoods and small towns nearby, and explore the greener areas. This will help you understand your surroundings and get used to the sights, sounds, and smells of your new home, while also giving you a chance to make some new friends. Beyond exploring your immediate surroundings, it can be helpful to think about what you want to explore further ahead. Do you have a favourite city, or a dream destination that you’ve always wanted to see? Start with that, or another nearby destination that you’d like to visit. From there, you can decide which larger destinations you might like to explore further.
Go with the flow
Another way to ease into a new city or stay present in your travels is to try to let yourself be open to the flow of things. When you’re traveling, it can often feel like nothing is happening, but if you try to let go of expectations and let things happen naturally, you may be surprised at how much new energy you can feel. Notice how people are feeling and reacting to each other, and try to be aware of how you’re feeling while you’re in that moment. This can help you stay present and connected with the world. If you’re feeling bored or disconnected, try to remember that you’re traveling. Sometimes we get so caught up in the details of traveling that we forget that we’re doing something bigger than just getting from place to place. Let yourself enjoy the experience of traveling, and you might be pleasantly surprised by how much you like it.
Trust your instincts
When you’re traveling, it can often feel like you’re doing everything wrong. Maybe you’re getting lost in a new city, you forgot to pack a crucial item, or you’re just not enjoying your trip as much as you expected to. Whether you’re experiencing these things or not, it can be helpful to trust your instincts when you travel. It can be tempting to try to make sense of everything in a new city or country by reading guidebooks, websites, or talking to locals, but in the end, these things can only tell you so much. You might be able to look up some basic information and navigate your way around familiar places, but you can’t really understand another culture or city from a guidebook. It’s also important to know that these things can change as you travel. Sometimes you need to let go of what you know, take a step back, and think about things a little differently. In this way, traveling isn’t just a chance to get confused, but also a chance to learn something new and apply that new knowledge in different ways.
Plan, but don’t be afraid to change your plan when you encounter new information or a different scene
While it can be helpful to create a general itinerary as you prepare to travel, you should also be ready to adapt your plans as you travel. This is especially important when you’re visiting a new country or city, as you may find that your original plan doesn’t work in the same way it would back home. Often, the best way to adjust to new circumstances or new information is to trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right to you, it’s probably not right for you and you should change it. Take pause and try to remember what you were thinking when you originally planned your trip, and try to apply that to your current situation.
Don’t just explore- get involved
Even though you may have heard before that traveling is all about experiencing new cultures, not just seeing the sights, the best way to really experience a new place is to get involved in the community while you’re there. This can be as simple as joining a local sports team or volunteering at a local organization, or it can be as complex as volunteering with a group that touches your heart. Community involvement can help you feel more connected to your new home and give you opportunities to learn about the culture and people of the city. It can also give you opportunities to meet new people and make new friends, further enriching your travel experience.
Take advantage of free time while you have it
Traveling can be a lot of fun, but it can also be extremely time-consuming. You may have to spend time getting to the airport, catching a flight, waiting for your flight, exploring the new city when you arrive, and possibly exploring again when you return home. In these cases, it can be especially helpful to remind yourself that you’re not missing out on anything important back home by making time for some quiet, self-care activities. This might include reading a book, listening to music, meditating, journaling, taking a walk, getting a hobby or creative project completed, or just spending time with your family or alone time.
Conclusion
Traveling is an exciting and enriching experience, but it can also be challenging and overwhelming. To help you enjoy your travels in the most authentic way possible, here are 9 practical tips that will help you break any travel routine and connect with the world around you. Most importantly, don’t forget to take care of yourself while you’re away. It can be helpful to make time for quiet activities like reading a book, meditating, journaling, or journaling while you’re away. It can be helpful to trust your instincts, and it can also be helpful to get involved in the community while you’re away.
