When you grow old it’s not the hardship and the struggles you would want to talk about to your grandkids. It’s the epic experiences you’ve made over the course of your life and tell them as many things as you remember. And, while you tell your story, you look back at your life and make no regrets because you lived your life to the fullest. There is a famous saying popular among travelers “experiences over things” and no doubt you’ve already heard it before. It means giving value to life rather than material things. Instead of buying designer bags, expensive gadgets, people are ready to spend hundreds of dollars on plane tickets, concerts, cruise getaways, and more.
According to recent studies, there is an exponential growth in the travel industry over the years and it’s still continuing to rise as of this day. The reason is simple, people nowadays are becoming smarter, they value experience over material things that they will wear out and lose their purpose in the end. Hence, travel experiences give priceless memories that can’t be measured by any amount of money. Grab your durable backpack and start looking for flight tickets and embark on a wonderful adventure.
Here are some tips for having a memorable travel experience that you can bring as you grow old.
Be Social
In order to get the most out of every travel experience, you are required to allow yourself to be open and let in other people in your life as well as welcoming them back to yours. Whether it’s a fellow tourist or the person sitting next to you at the plane, letting yourself engage with other people creates connections, not just friendship but also for adventure too. Even if you know that you are the quietest person in the whole world, you’ll understand that no matter what you do, conversations are always bound to happen even if you are not the one who initiates them. Try to go on to a bar near your hostel and you’ll see how many people would want to talk to you.
Cultural Appreciation
In every country you go to you’ll see how appreciative and welcoming local people are. Even though they don’t know how to speak your language they’ll try their hardest to make you understand by doing hand gestures and they will even help you get where you want to be. Some will welcome you into their house and even offer you hot tea. That’s how you will understand and genuinely feel the country’s culture that only the people who go and travel to these places will experience.
Dine Where Locals Eat
If you are the type of traveler who wants to get the most out of everything, eating what locals eat is one heck of an experience. Countries like Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and even Germany have street foods that are often cheap but delicious. There are hundreds of blogs about street foods and if you are someone who has never seen or eaten things like this before, you may want to back out but it’s often some of the best food around compared to those expensive fine dining restaurants.
Be Kind to Others
Take note that not everyone will give back the kindness you offered to someone. Sometimes, people are having a bad day or they just seem not in the mood and if it happened to you don’t generalize it. No matter how rude these people are to you, always be the better person and still be friendly. Just like in the movie Annie – who wouldn’t want to be friends with her, she is so cute, friendly, and genuine about her feelings and even though people mistreated her she did not change her attitude and stayed who she was. When traveling, always be like Annie.
Learn New Things
In some countries, there are rules that need to be followed no one is exempted whether you’re a local or a tourist. In Thailand, for instance, it’s rude to wear knee-high shorts when visiting a temple and in the Philippines, it’s rude not to say “po” and “opo” when talking to an elderly person. It’s very important to do a little research about the country’s cultural etiquette and to practice it when you’re on the road. Learning how to say the basic greeting like “hi” and “thank you” would make a big impact on how you travel. If the locals feel you respect their culture, they’ll be more welcoming of you.
Indeed that traveling will open new doors for you. It will help you connect with other people and learn more about their traditions, beliefs, and even accept your differences. After all, it’s what makes your travel experience amazing.
