As I promised in my previous post on homesickness and long-term travel, I would like to share a more practical account of my experience. I was unsure if I had packed enough, worried that I would lose my passport and wondering if I could make it a full year. Four years later, I am still travelling, but I do it quite differently from when I started. I travel much slower, choosing to spend more time eating and learning. Renting an apartment is a great way to learn about a place and also to do some work. Over the years, I have learned a lot of new tips, and I disagree with my original packing strategy. I want to share some of my world travel tips here.
Some practical tips for those just starting, reading at home, or thinking about what they have learned along the way.
Table of Contents
I’ve made some mistakes, so you won’t!
Every year, I review this post to see if there are any changes I should make. However, even now, in 2016, months after it was originally written, I still agree with all the information I have provided. Travel doesn’t solve problems, but it can expose you to many new challenges and solutions.
1. Solo travel does not mean you’re lonely.
The most common question I get is, “Are you lonely traveling alone?” Even my parents assumed this before their visit. They imagined me sitting by myself and singing to sleep. When they first met me in Bangkok, they realized that there was an active community of writers, journalists, and photographers. I made friends almost immediately. Travel is a way to experience life more deeply and transcend social norms. When I meet great people, we spend days talking, eating and exploring. If this were New York, I would be considered a stalker if I said, “hey, lets share lunch, dinner, and drinks for seven straight days “. Those rules don’t apply. While travelling, most people are willing to meet others and learn from them. Except for #12, I never feel lonely.
2. Be a travel parasite.
This does not mean that you should mooch off your family or friends. It means learning to make the most of guidebooks. Guidebooks are great for learning about a location’s history or for planning an itinerary, but I don’t look at them for information on a restaurant or hostel. Their recommendations are more like a stepping stone. Lonely Planet suggests a place to be “Our Pick” It’s great; I walk down two doors to the hotel next door and stay there. Rough Guides claims that this is the best place to eat in town. Perfect! Nearly every restaurant that is recommended will be within walking distance of the first, especially in developing countries. Entrepreneurs quickly realize that when these books recommend places, the place soon becomes overcrowded, and the prices increase. They open another restaurant next door or nearby to deal with the spillover. These are always the places that are less expensive, more delicious, and not jaded. Parasites aren’t necessarily bad. (Having parasites? (Having parasites?
3. You should never leave your home without certain things.
No matter what climate I am packing for, these five items are always in my bag: a safety whistle, a doorstop, a sarong, and a headlamp. If I need to sleep, I have a sleep sheet. There are many other essentials, but I always have these four in my bag, whether it’s for a short trip or a longer one.
Additional Notes (Apr 6th):
- MeFi received this from a reader (I am a long-time reader, so it was exciting to see *waves*). The question asked: “I must be inexperienced with travel, but I can’t remember ever wishing that I had a doorstop. What is this about? It’s a great comfort when I’m alone in a hostel because you can hear the door fluttering if anyone is trying to open it. This is not a foolproof prevention, but I find it useful and gives me peace of mind before going to sleep.
- A second note was added to the MeFi thread, asking about items such as antibacterial gel and earplugs. Of course, I always carry them with me. I wanted to include some items that are less common but still take up little space. Yes, I am probably an overpacker. But at 5 feet and a 54L bag, it can only be so much.
- If you’re wondering why I recommend it, it’s not because it’s a good way to attract attention (I haven’t used it that way yet), but rather because it’s been useful when being chased by monkeys or stuck in a boat on Myanmar. It’s a great tool to have, especially if you’re hiking. But I wanted to illustrate it with the times that I had to use it.
4. You can also buy everything else. *
It was hard to believe at first, but I learned that you can buy almost anything abroad. From t-shirts and bras to flip-flops for when yours are thrown over a cliff by a monkey. Toiletries can be a great learning experience (trying to find non-whitening toothpaste in Thailand? It’s not as easy as it seems. You can learn a lot from the toiletries. On my page of, World Travel Resources, I have posted some packing lists that other bloggers have created. They are a great way to outline what you will need. If you forget anything, you can often find a replacement while on the road.
You may want to bring prescription medications with you on your trip. Don’t forget your passport. Don’t forget your passport.
5. The world revolves around food.
If you’re not a foodie, a chef, or a spice lover, it is impossible to deny that food is the centre of culture and tradition in many parts of the world. Take a cooking course if you want to know more about spices and their history, or eat as much as you can. You can also learn to cook by working with a local household. Visit the local markets to observe how people eat and how they prepare their food. Also, note when their main mealtimes are. You can use these rhythms to plan your trip because many places offer more than just a list of sights to see. They also tie their food to their community and history. If you miss out, it would be a great loss.
Check out my post “How to Eat Street Food without Getting Sick”. [/alert]
6. You don’t know where to have breakfast, and neither do your taxi driver.
If appropriate, replace this with a tuk-tuk, songthaew, or rickshaw. Asking the oldest cab driver I can find where he had breakfast is my first step when I visit a new location. After he has gotten over the shock of my question, he will usually start giggling and talking about food. He eventually takes me there. He takes me to places I would never have found on my own. The food is always fresh and delicious, and it is in a place that I wouldn’t have known about without him. Taxi drivers are more than just a means of getting to A and B.
There has been some pushback on this, noting taxis often take you somewhere where they get a commission. This is not true. I have relied on taxis to provide me with recommendations of places to eat, which are usually given with a smile. Taxi drivers are a great indicator of fast and tasty food. A trip to Mui Ne led me to one of the most delicious soups in Vietnam. Taxi drivers almost exclusively served it, not listening to those who said you should not pack jeans.
Love your jeans? Please put them in your bag. It doesn’t matter if people say they don’t dry quickly enough (this is not a good idea in hot climates) or that they are too bulky (oh HAI, Lycra! How wonderfully compact my jeans become!) Or that they are not flexible enough. In 2008, I didn’t pack jeans, and I had to buy them as soon as I arrived in South America. Since then, I have always had one pair of jeans with me. My quick-dry trousers are great for hiking, but I don’t like them for myself. I also want to fit in when I go out for dinner with expats. When I’m back in North America, I wear jeans a lot to feel like me. This is not for those who dislike jeans. Bring them if you enjoy wearing them. You’ll feel better for it.
8. Oranges make a great snack for public transport.
I began to bring a bag of Oranges on long bus rides. They quench my thirst and smell great. I learned quickly that Thai and Burmese bus passengers sniff the peels of oranges to avoid nausea and that children love them. Kids love oranges. Oranges are a great option for people who don’t want to give sweets to children but still want to bring something on the bus. You’ll win over your parents, make your kids happy, keep you busy, and, eventually, everyone will feed you. You can trust me. Always keep a bag of small oranges in your fridge.
Substitute a similar fruit if oranges are not available. In China, this would be longan, lychees or lanzones. You get the picture.
9. Oranges are what Cough Drops are for cab drivers.
Cough drops are a must-have for cabbies. My theory is not backed up by science, but every driver I’ve encountered has been happy to accept one of my cough drops. The driver smiles and offers a cough drop after the initial grumbling. Soon, we are singing Journey and playing air guitar at the top volume. Cough drop offers have led to impromptu singing, a tour of the Corniche in Casablanca (where cabs are fair) and food in Thailand (where everyone wants you fed). Even if you do not receive a grandiose invitation like a wedding, you can still lighten the mood and surprise the driver. Making your taxi experience better one cabbie at a time.
10. It is more important to open your mind and eyes than to “get off the beaten track .”
This is a lesson I’ve learned that I wrote about in a separate post, but I wanted to repeat it here as it is one of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned. It is more important than you might think to be open to learning and meeting new people. If you are fixated on being different, it is possible to get off the beaten track and still have a lack of connection with the land or people. You can also stay in the most crowded area of town and still form relationships and have incredible experiences. It’s not black or white: For those who are open-minded, going off the beaten track is often meaningful and wonderful. They add new experiences to their already-open mind. The bottom line is that it’s not enough to travel somewhere dangerous, exciting or secret. You should also look at the positive aspects of your travels and what you can learn.
11. You may be surprised to learn that people are more similar than you thought.
Travelling will open your eyes and show you that we all have more in common than we realize. There are vast differences in culture and traditions, but there is also a commonality between us all. The kindness of a smile and the basic human emotions are everywhere. The soldiers in the Philippines wanted to know how Canada managed to manage its rice without growing it. Or the Bolivian family who asked why tourists don’t wrap their babies around their backs in Bolivian style. The same questions are asked over and over again – about love, food and parenting. Encourage people to ask you questions. These knots of human connections are what make the world tick.
12. When you’re sick, the times are lonely.
When I’m sick, I will do anything to be in bed at my parents’ house. When I am ill and feeling drowsy, and I’m in a foreign country, I want to eat my stepfather’s chicken soup. When you’re hurt, it can be not easy to stay away from familiar things. It has helped me be more resilient when things go wrong. And technology allows me to communicate with others, even when I am down.
13. The technology helps you connect with others and meet new people wherever you are while keeping parents happy.
While I was at the Kuwait Airport, I tweeted about having the hiccups for my 7-hour layover. This prompted some odd looks from other passengers. I’d seen a few tourists the previous hours, so I was already standing out. After the tweet was sent, a man from Oregon approached me and asked, “Hi, Are you Legalnomads?”. He had used Twitter to find the airport code in order to see if other travellers were tweeting near the airport. When he saw that I was hiccupping compulsively, he came to say hello. I spent the rest of my layover talking to his family about social media and drinking coffee. This same guy appeared again in later years.
The technology makes it possible to get in touch with people before meeting them, receive suggestions and have a general dialogue. Twitter has helped me find restaurant recommendations, weather forecasts, and other useful information. I have also made many new friends. Tweetups were everywhere when I arrived in Bangkok after my trip to Myanmar in 2010. They followed TEDxBKK. In just a couple of days, I made a group of friends who were able to tell me what restaurants they liked and other things about the city. In the absence of modern technology, it is still possible to talk with someone at your hostel over breakfast.
The technology also keeps my family informed. To keep my family in the loop, I use Google Voice, Skype, and Email. I send them photos of small things they are missing. The majority of people are appreciative, but occasionally less so. For example, when I sent photos of a squat bathroom in Mongolia to my mother, she said, “Please don’t share the toilets.”
14. Newness and anxiety never go away.
This is important because people tend to think that if you do something often enough, it will become second nature. It may be true of general skills, but I have found that the rule doesn’t apply to travel. Even when I’m going somewhere new, I get nervous. Before I went to Morocco, I worried whether or not I would like it and whether it would be intimidating. North Africa, after being so used to Asia, was a foreign place to me. It is a myth that long-term travellers are comfortable everywhere. Travel is special because it pushes your comfort level every time you leave the familiar. This hasn’t changed in my case, even after four years.
15. It doesn’t get any easier to pack.
In a recent article, I discussed the problems that long-term travel does not solve. I wrote about how I hated packing even after 2.5 years of travel. Now, I’ve been travelling for 4 years. What’s this? I still dislike packing.
16. You will have the flexibility you need to seize the opportunities that arise.
Many people ask me if I bought a ticket to travel around the world or if I plan my trip as I go. This is something I have already addressed on the Resources page, but I feel it is important to repeat it here. Don’t plan. In addition to the fact that I had thought I would be back in North America (and not still travelling), many of the places that I have loved are those that were not even on my original, vague itinerary. If you’re following a schedule, there is nothing wrong with doing some research or planning a long-haul flight. You should leave as much to spontaneous travel as possible. You will meet people who wax lyrical about a particular destination and want you to go there. Then you decide that you NEED! You’re going to the Philippines to visit your brother because you are fascinated by this small primate.
Travelling with your mind free is an exciting yet scary experience.
