We all know traveling is a fancy trend nowadays, but apart from the appreciated pictures and barging to the world, traveling is a personal experience. One that you live individually and that should shape your character. Let me give you my list of benefits that I get from traveling around the world.
- Embrace and accept new cultures
When you go to a new place you should try to blend in. Live, act and dress accordingly to the culture and community. I know you want to look good in the pictures, but respecting the place you are visiting is a must. By being in contact with a new culture you get to experience how these people live, what are their favorite activities, what are their national celebrations, what is their history.
- Learn to adapt and to socialize with a large variety of people
If you are a traveler and not a tourist you will not lock yourself in a resort, you will go beyond your comfort zone and you will interact with the locals. You will try to understand them in their language, broken or fluent English or body language. You will see both the rich and the poor, all countries have a combination of the two. You will take the bus and you will socialize with the people around you.
- Learn a few words in a different language
It is a nice sign to show your respect by learning a few words in the local language. You don’t have to make a full conversation, but words like: hello, goodbye, thank you or please are nice to know. Give it a try and you will see their faces light up when you are trying to speak their language.
- Try new food
The culinary experiences are one of my favorites. Experimenting all sorts of new tastes and dishes that are served in the traditional places or in the public markets. Cheap or expensive, it is important to give it a try. Clearly, you need to aware of the fact that the food might not be on your taste or that for a non-local can send you to the toilet for a few days, so do your homework before and try everything in moderation.
- Become more considerate when judging a person’s background
Sometimes to tend to judge people without knowing their struggles. It is easy to say that poverty is by choice and that they are not ambitious enough to breakthrough. Once you get to travel and see the not so fancy part of the world, you will become more considerate of other people’s struggles. You will see this in all the major countries, even in the richest ones, so don’t get the impression that this is only happening in other places.
- Learn more about the world’s history
When you get to a new place you will learn about its history, what made it get to the shape it is today. What are the stories of the walls, castle, bridges, landscapes, towns or forests? It is important not to live the place before you find out more about it if you like to do your homework before arriving you could even get to explore the areas that are not flooded by tourists. Make sure you contact a guide if you want someone to tell you these stories and walk you through the area.
Bitter Sweet est. 2017 