43 Days of Non-Stop Travel

I’m nearing my 6 week mark of traveling abroad. As I’m sitting on a flight from Sydney to Cairns, I’ve had some to reflect on my travels. In this short amount of time, I’ve managed to see 4 countries and counting! Here are some of the top observations/lessons I’ve made.
1) Yes, I do get lonely… But not as much I’ve thought I would.  I know this is a question on all of your minds. There are times in my travels where I am feeling lonely. However, I found that no matter where I go, I seem to be able to strike up a conversation with a random stranger and some become new friends. Being a pure introvert, it seems crazy to me that I can do that. However, I am intentional on surrounding myself with people by staying in hostels and attending Meetup events.

I have had the privilege to meet and travel with people from all over the world. Nationalities include Australian, British, Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Swiss, Japanese, South Korean, Brazilian, Canadian and other Americans. These people all have amazing stories and I’ve been blessed to meet them all.

However, to sum this up, traveling alone does have its advantages. You call the shots on your itinerary; you learn what you like and dislike; you see your strengths and weaknesses.You are responsible for taking care of yourself.  I would highly encourage everyone to do it at a least a few times in their lives.

2) I do miss routine, although it’s amazing to lose track of which day of the week it is.

3) It’s okay to rest and not always be moving. For those who know me well, they know I like to stay busy. I think I get it from my dad, but I like to always be accomplishing something and I apply this to my travels. Initially, in my first couple of weeks, I tried to always be moving and seeing places. After awhile I found myself to be exhausted and not wanting to do much of anything. What I found is that I need a day or two of rest here and there. It’s okay to sit at the hostel and sleep in. It’s okay to sit in the park in the afternoon or watch TV shows. Which leads me to #4..

4) You don’t have to see every attraction in your area to feel accomplished. I’ve found the more that I travel, the less I want to see everything. It takes a lot of energy and time, sometimes walking the streets (or trails!) of your area, do just as well. Rather than seeing everything, talk to a local. It’s a lot easier on the budget as well.

5) More Americans need to travel internationally….Seriously. And, I don’t count sitting on the beaches of Mexico as international. I’ve only managed to meet just a handful of Americans in my travels. The world is not scary as our media outlets lead us to believe.

6) Smartphones and WiFi don’t always work. Sometimes you have to talk to people to ask for directions. Novel thought, right? 

It has been a fun time so far and I’m looking forward to learning and experiencing more!