The 30 Most Practical Things I’ve Learned From Traveling Around The World

1. Before you leave the country, call your bank to tell them the dates you will be traveling, and the countries you will be traveling to, including layovers. That way your card isn’t immediately canceled once you try to withdraw money or buy a muffin in the Dubai airport.

2. Take out plenty of cash once you get where you’re going. Stash it all over you. In your daypack. In your wallet. In a hiking boot. In a hat. Make sure you don’t misplace it, but this way you will always have cash in case something is stolen or lost.

3. Don’t share cab rides with strangers from airports. We’ve all seen Taken.

4. When you first book your trip, book a hostel in the city you’re flying into for the first two nights. This will give you time to get your bearings, to read over your guidebook for the 90th time, to talk to other travelers and the people who work there and see what tips/insight they have, to adjust to the food and time zone, etc. You’ll feel better if you can sleep in and know you have a definite place to lay down for the next couple of days.

5. Look up Visa requirements. Do you need one? Can you get it at the airport once you arrive?

6. Find a market near your hostel to buy granola bars, a box of cereal, a bag of pasta, and fruit and some vegetables if your hostel has a communal fridge. Cook your meals when you want. You’ll save money that way, and it could add up to a great meal elsewhere.

7. You’ll get sick. You just will. Most likely it will be a case of the “traveler’s runs,” but know where the closest “tourist” medical clinic is, anyway. Travelers’ insurance is always a good idea, or be prepared to pay out of pocket. And be calm. We’ve all been there. I’m notorious for ending up in hospitals abroad. It just happens.

8. That being said — and this is for the less developed nations — don’t drink the tap water. Don’t even brush your teeth with it, unless you’ve been on the road for 3+ years and your body has adapted. Don’t eat the ice. Don’t trust ice cream that isn’t packaged. And, for the love of god, don’t risk it, and avoid eating meat if you can. If you do, you’re really setting yourself up for a stomach fiasco.

9. Make copies of your passport. Make copies of your immunizations records. Make copies of your flight itineraries. Make copies of your med prescriptions and eyeglass prescriptions.

10. If you CouchSurf, be sure to read all reviews of that person on their profile. Have a backup plan in case you need to bail (which is extremely rare, but, safety first). And be ready to socialize, a lot. Your host will most likely want to show you their city as they see it. Have fun with it, and run with it.

11. Don’t be the sloppy, loud, dirty traveler. I hate to say it, because it’s rather obvious to say, but obnoxious party-travelers and people with bad hostel etiquette are just inconvenient and rude. Pick up after yourself. Try not to explode your backpack when you unpack. And please, don’t come stumbling loudly into a dorm at 5 AM puking up tequila shots. No one is then going to want to invite you onto that 6 AM sunrise hike.

12. Bring: water purification (I prefer Aquamira, but Steri-Pens work as well). A headlamp. Spare batteries. A small phrasebook. A swiss army knife. First aid kit. Lightweight sleep sheet (otherwise known as a sleeping bag liner). Ziplocs and plastic bags. Spare headphones in case yours break. Cheap rubber flip-flops for communal hostel showers. Read into the culture of where you’re headed. Pack accordingly. Cultural respect comes first (how long should your skirts/dresses/shorts be? Should you even be in shorts at all? Should you cover your shoulders or chest or both?). And don’t forget to read up on the weather. Yes, you are going to the Sahara Desert, but it drops to freezing at night. Lightweight thermal underwear is always good, just in case.

13. When you can, keep up to date on the news. Pull up CNN.com when you find yourself in an internet cafe. Read the US Travel Advisory. Stay updated. Things happen in the most unexpected places.

14. Be patient. The train or boat you’ll have wanted to take that Monday morning will only run once a week on every Friday. Things will be delayed. 80% of the world runs in slow motion compared to “our” world, which is run by agendas and crunch times. Bring a book with you, bring a deck of cards, get a game going with the locals while you wait for the 6 hour delayed bus. Laugh. Write. Embrace it.

15. You’ll probably lose your luggage. At least once. Pack spare underwear and essential toiletries (this includes medications you need) in your carry-on. Then find a shopping center wherever you’re headed and get some cheap clothes to change into while you wait for your actual bags to come. It’ll be okay. It happens to all of us.

16. Taking taxis isn’t cheating. When you’re lost, frustrated, or nervous, don’t feel like you aren’t “roughing it” just because you want a direct drive to take you where you need to be.

17. Gorge on the free hostel breakfast. I know, I know. It’s some sort of white bread, packaged butter and jam that looks like Jell-O, a tub of olives (“who thought this was a good idea?”), and maybe some Frosted Flakes and lukewarm milk if you’re lucky. But gorge yourself. If it’s all-you-can-eat, sneak a hunk of bread and an apple into your pack. Boom, there’s your free lunch, too.

18. Speaking of food, be adventurous, but don’t be risky. Swallow live mealworms in the Amazon? Sure! Drink the blood from a sacrificed goat in Tanzania? Like tea! Some sort of goopy, cheesy, corn-soup-esque, fermented stew with hunks of indiscernible bone and meat that your host mother in Tibet just handed to you? Slurp! It’s often incredibly rude to deny a meal when offered to you, so, enjoy it and plaster that smile. In this case, the “runs” will probably happen, but, c’est la vie. What a story! And no one was offended in the process.

19. When somebody asks where you’re staying, be vague. When a complete stranger asks to drive you from the bar to your hostel, you have every right to say no. The chances are they’re just genuinely curious or friendly, but be smart. Use your common sense. Use your gut. This goes for men and women.

20. But don’t close yourself off. There’s a difference between being wary and being unreachable. It’s okay to talk to strangers. Listen to their stories. It comes back around to this: follow. your. instinct. If someone is giving you a bad vibe, trust that it’s not coming from thin air.

21. Don’t buy the souvenir crap. Please. It was made in China, and is distributed globally. Buy from someone who is actually making what they’re selling, so you know the money goes directly into their pocket, and what you’re taking back with you is genuine, real, and you know its maker’s first name.

22. Don’t walk with your headphones in.

23. Sit in the hostel common room. Even if you’re just reading or working on your computer. People-watch, listen to conversations, be present. People will talk to you. Likewise, talk to people. You could find an incredible adventure, or at least someone to spend the day looking at a temple with or having a drink or dinner with. They will always teach you something you didn’t know before. Now is the time to challenge yourself to be as open and as outgoing as possible. Remember: no one knows you here. That’s a pretty incredible gift and opportunity.

24. Carry tokens of your home with you, especially if you’re doing a home-stay. Whether that’s a San Francisco postcard, or an “I <3 NY” t-shirt, it will come in handy at some point, and is a kind, fun gesture. You will find someone who deserves it or needs it.

25. Save cash. You can do laundry in the sink.

26. Be flexible. If people in your hostel invite you out to explore, or to a sports event, or out for drinks, or on a kayak trip, or even to a new city in the opposite direction of where you thought you were headed, go. It may just change your life. Or it may not, but in that case, you’ll still end up with new stories, new connections, and a new path. I promise you won’t regret finding out.

27. This is mostly for travel in Europe, but a lot of countries offer some kind of discount with their train-rail passes. Take the time to talk to people who work at a train station. You’ll save money in the long run.

28. Don’t be tied to the internet. Sometimes it’s necessary to have a laptop (for work’s sake or backing up photos), but try not to spend hours every day chatting on Facebook and scrolling Tumblr. Now is a good time to ween yourself away. Find yourself online every now and then, send some photos to mom and dad, write a blog post, and don’t feel guilty for it when you do. But I promise, it will all be there when you get back.

29. Abandon all preconceptions. Traveling light means leaving any excess baggage — both literally and mentally — behind.

30. Know you can come home whenever you want. If you are truly unhappy, scared, and just want to leave, you can. You are under no obligation to stick it out just because everyone else is expecting you and telling you to be having the time of your life. Change your plane ticket; go somewhere else. Or change your plane ticket, and just come home. But remember that each place holds its own magic and there are lessons found in every challenge, every difficulty, and every struggle. Travel is not always beautiful, kind, and forgiving. It’s not what we always dream it will be. But it is what we make it. Take away goodness from the hardship, and remember to love and respect a place for what it is instead of resenting it for any preconceived notions or problems you have with it, and use the lessons you learn abroad (what makes me happy? what truly matters?) to better yourself in that moment, and eventually, somewhere else.