5 Lessons I've Learned Traveling Abroad

Written by: Sara Wiley

This is a picture of my aunt, twin sister and I in Iceland getting rid of the kayaks and floating in the cold, Icelandic water. By far, one of my favorite experiences.

Traveling is one of life’s greatest educators. I have learned more from traveling than from any textbook, if I am being honest. This is my list of five lessons I have learned from traveling abroad that I hope you will find useful, whether you're planning a trip in a few days or are planning one within the next year.

Lesson 1: Learn something new every day

One of the greatest lessons I have learned from traveling is to learn something new every day. It is so imperative when you are traveling to another country to really immerse yourself in the culture.

I consider myself a continuous learner, so I love learning various things constantly. However, when I am traveling somewhere new I want to learn something that is new to me. Whether it be learning a word or phrase in a different language, learn something about the history, the cuisine you will consume, and so much more. When you travel, you never stop learning and that is why I love to travel so much.

Lesson 2: Be spontaneous

When I travel, I’ll admit, I am a planner. I like to have everything planned for each day about what I am going to do. That is how I work best. Traveling abroad, I have enjoyed some of my best experiences when I ditched the itinerary and made spontaneous decisions.

Making your trip elastic vs. slaving to a schedule is way more enjoyable. Embracing the impulsive side can be a treat. You never know what you’ll find or come across and that’s the beauty of traveling and exploring new areas.

Lesson 3: Find the value in getting lost

Get lost! I loved this when we were in Valencia a few years ago. We were just wandering the streets with no true end destination. We were just walking and found the cutest shops and most serene streets. Every street corner had something spectacular to look at.

Going off plan and getting lost isn’t something I do all the time. But when I do, they end up being one of my favorite experiences.

Lesson 4: Enjoy experiences over things

Put your phone down, stop filming everything, and just sit back and enjoy what is right in front of you. A life lesson we can all learn now in the digital age is that experiences are what truly make us happy, not our phones or laptops. When traveling, you learn new languages, you find cuisines you’ve never tried and fallen in love with it or absolutely loathed them. You learn about the history and charm of the mysterious place you wandered into, and so much more. Experiences are what you will remember, not what you see on a screen.

Lesson 5: Appreciate different cultures

I LOVE learning about different cultures, so when I travel I love to soak up everything around me. The only way to truly understand why people do what they do is to spend time with people of other cultures. We learn that ideas someone had came from somewhere whether it be art, moral codes, religion, why they make food a certain way, you name it. There is something different in each culture. Unbury it and celebrate our differences, but also appreciate our similarities.