Wish you could go back in time and give travel advice to your younger self? Me too!
I’m so thankful I was exposed to travel as a kid. Even if it was just a road trip to a neighboring state or to Canada to visit relatives. I was in high school before I was on an airplane (my grandparents helped with the cost) and in my mid-20s before I applied for my first passport.
If you are paying attention, yes I stated I was in Canada as a youngster, and yes I stated I was in my mid-20s before I got a passport. Passports were first required to get from the U.S. to Canada in 2009. I was there before 2009 and didn’t need one.
I am grateful for the advantages given to me and thankful that while limited, I was able to travel more than many can. Even so, while looking back there are some things that I wish I could do differently.
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My List of Travel Advice for My Younger Self:
1. The Best Travel Advice for My Younger Self – Just Go
I’m a very responsible person. Always have been and likely always will be. I usually make sure all of my obligations are covered before I do anything for myself. I know that does not seem like a bad thing, but when I was younger, I passed up on a couple of small road trips because I was worried about missing a class, or decided I should use the money to pay extra on my student loans.
Back then, student loan forgiveness was not even a thing. I knew I needed to get rid of them and wanted to quickly. The best way I knew to do that was to pay more than the minimum as much as possible. I prioritized paying off that student loan over taking a trip.
Please don’t get me wrong, you SHOULD do what you can to pay off your student loans or any debt for that matter. But once in a while, it’s ok to use that month’s extra and take a trip. Pay the minimum, but take the trip with the extra.
2. Don’t worry about cost but be reasonable
This is assuming you have the money to pay for it. I don’t support going into thousands of dollars of debt to travel. I do however wish I could tell myself the advice from #1, then to not worry about the cost but be reasonable.
Travel is about experiencing something different. Something new. If you take a trip to say New York City, (if you have never been there, check out my blog post, New York City, Eight Places that Made Me Fall In Love) but only eat at Mcdonald’s because of the cost, you are missing out on some amazing food.
Now McDonalds in some cities can be a fun experience. Check out this article from Delish.com on The Coolest and Craziest McDonald’s Across the Country. If that is the case, then I’m all for going. But don’t cut costs to the point where you don’t get to experience anything new and exciting.
3. Don’t be afraid to go alone
This one is big for me. I’m an introvert who loves to try new things. That is an odd combo for many but it’s true. Because of that, it takes a lot of courage for me to go out and do things alone. I can go to the grocery store or shopping alone, in fact, I prefer to do these alone. But things like eating out, going to a movie, or getting on an airplane can be scary alone.
I’ve since experienced all of these alone and realized it’s not so bad. I actually enjoy it better in some cases. If I could go back and tell my younger self, who was desperate to go somewhere but had no one to go with, it’s ok to go alone.
Start small, take a book to a coffee shop. Sit at a sports bar and watch a ball game. Walk into the theater just after it gets dark. You will start to not only feel a little better yourself but you will start to notice how many others are there alone that you never noticed before.
No one to travel with, go alone!
4. Plan but don’t over plan
I’m still guilty of this sometimes but I’m getting better. I over plan a trip. It’s always best to do some research before you go. Look for recommendations online, download apps like Out of Office (you can follow me on OOO @AdventuresaHaa), or read your favorite travel blogs. I know, it’s shocking a travel blogger is suggesting you read things like travel blogs to prepare.
Planning is a good thing but overplanning is bad. Some of my favorite experiences while traveling were unplanned. One of the absolute best meals I have ever had was at a hotel in Rome. Our flight had been delayed, we were arriving a whole day behind schedule. It was about 10:30 pm before we got checked in. We were tired, frustrated and hungry.
Having already missed the planned outing for the day, I didn’t even care where we went to eat so we just went to the hotel restaurant. It was nothing fancy, it was boring actually. The place was empty and had zero ambiance. I remember wondering if we were in the basement because I don’t even remember there being windows. It was not something you would find on Instagram or in any guidebook. But the food was AMAZING!
Sometimes not having a plan is the plan you need to make.
5. Take a friend with you
When you travel with a friend it will feel like a totally different trip than if you want alone. Friends have a way of pushing you out of your comfort zone and have a way of making you laugh and enjoy yourself even over little things.
I’ll be honest too, you will drift away from some friends and some friends will be friends for life. I went to Italy with one of my closest friends at the time. We had a great time, ups and downs but overall a great time. We learned a lot about each other and grew closer through the experience.
But now that we live two states away from each other we don’t see each other much and don’t even talk as much as we used to. We are still friends and I still love her but even the distance between us can’t change the memories of that trip.
The trip and she will always be a part of who I am, I just wish it could have been more than just one trip.
6. Take a family member with you
This one can be tricky. I know not everyone has a good relationship with their family so this travel advice to my younger self leaves family open to your given family or your chosen family. Either way, these are the people who you are closer to than a friend. Much like traveling with a friend, traveling with family will give you a different vibe.
I’ve done a lot of traveling with a few of my aunties and of course as a kid with my parents and siblings. As I’ve gotten older I’ve started to appreciate the time I’ve spent with my parents. Even as limited as it has been.
As you get older and your parents get older you start to realize time on earth is limited. Those special moments while on a trip will never be forgotten. The most important travel advice for my younger self is, to travel as much as you can with your family while you can.
7. Always take a journal with you.
It’s only been a couple of years since I started to bring a journal with me on vacation. I love photography so I guess I figured I’d have the pictures, which I do but some of the little moments are gone forever. Having a journal not only allows you to document what you did but also capture those little moments and stories that you may forget about after a few years.
What was the weather like? Where did you eat? Who did you meet? What was the nightlife like? I know a lot is captured on social media but some moments are special to you and anyone you are with. You may not want to share every detail with the world. Having a journal will help you capture the details of the moment that are most important to you.
Final Advice for My Younger Self
Just you be you. Go where you want to go. Do what you want to do. Live your best life. It will all work out in the end.
Happy travels and remember the world is full of adventures all around you.
I am not a professional in any of the topics discussed on Adventures at Home and Away. All content on Adventures at Home and Away is for informational and educational purposes only. All comments made are my personal opinion and should not be used as professional advice.
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