5 things I learned from traveling
1. People Traveler
I’m a people traveler. It means that when I travel, it’s never about the place, it’s about the people, the quality of conversations we have, and the time we share.
For me, places don’t hold memories, people do.
2. Taking Photos
Prioritize quantity over quality when taking photos. Because 1) it’s easier to delete the bad ones than to capture a beautiful moment with just 1 shot, and 2) you will never get to live that moment again, so taking a photo is the equivalent of taking a visual note of your life, so you will never forget it.
Don’t be shy or ashamed for taking a photo even if none of your friends is. A few months from now, you will appreciate yourself so much for having pulled out your phone to capture that beautiful moment.
3. Eating
Eating out is pleasant when you don’t do it every day for more than 7 days. By day 8, I can feel my body protesting, asking for a home-cooked meal. When you’re traveling for an extended period of time, cook your own food if you can. It’s cheaper and healthier.
4. Cooking
Cooking is the best time to bond and get to know a person. There’s no awkward silence waiting for the other party to finish chewing like a conversation at a dining table. Conversations flow easier when you cook than when you eat.
Preparing a meal together is like collaborating on a mini-project, you see how the other person performs under pressure, how chill or meticulous he is, how much he contributes his labor to the team… Bonus: If 2 people are from different cultures, cooking is arguably the best way to learn about the other’s culture.
Whenever you have the chance, make the effort to cook with your partner/ hosts/ friends when you travel. It’s good bonding (plus cheap and healthy).
5. Kindness
My favorite phrase of this trip that people told me is: “Make yourself at home.” It reminds me that there are so many nice people in this world.