Learn From Our Mistakes
Whenever you go outside your comfort zone you are bound to make a mistake or two. When we started traveling internationally we made countless mistakes and like my instructors in college told me, “Mistakes are the best teachers.” So sit back, relax and learn from our blunders.
Double Check Visa Requirements
ALWAYS check visa requirements before traveling to a different country. We did not check visa requirements prior to traveling to Jordan and thankfully their visa process only takes a matter of minutes, because when we got to the airport, they would not let us board until we had the visa. Ever since then we checked the visa requirement and saved us when we visited India and South Korea. Do not assume you will get a visa upon entry.
Bring Tissues or Toilet Paper
ALWAYS have some form of toilet paper on you. Toilet paper is not a given in every bathroom. Trust me, you do not want to be stuck in a that sort of situation. With that being said always have some hand sanitizer on you as well. Soap and running water is not a given in every bathroom.
Laundromats and Dryers Are Not Common
We had a few situations where is was difficult to find out where to wash our clothes without paying an arm and a leg for someone else to wash them. A few times we were able to book an Airbnb or hostel with a washing machine. Dryers are not very common either, so give yourself time to air dry your clothes as well. Do not be us having to wear wet clothes to the airport, not a fun day.
*Pack laundry soap so that way you don’t have to buy it every time you wash your clothes. I packed a small Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap so that way it could be used for laundry and showering. There are also laundry detergent sheets that are really packable and nice to use.
The Importance of Snacks
Never under estimate the power of a packable snack. Always have some sort of snack in your bag, especially on travel days, because then you are at the mercy of expensive airport food, sketchy street food, or even worse having nothing at all and just being hangry. A snack can change everything. Trust me, stop at the 7-eleven pick up a few bag of chips and it will change your experience.
Budget Airlines
I love budget airlines, but you have to go in with the mindset that it is a budget airline. They will not feed you or give you any drinks, unless you want to pay for them (remember always bring snacks). They will also weigh your bag to make sure it is under the 15kg and if it is over the weight limit they will charge you a lot of money. If your luggage is over the limit you can step out of the line and rearrange your pack (ie: start wearing everything you own) and reweigh your pack. We did this once and it saved us over $60. I was sweating, but my wallet wasn’t.
Less is More
Wanting to pack a day full of activities is how I used to like to plan. However, it’s not always the best. When your day is packed full with activities, you are worried about the next thing and if you will make it. You don’t give yourself time to explore and sit down and enjoy the sites. Now I have a new rule, I only plan one big activity a day. It gives you wiggle room to change plans and take your time, because everything will take you longer than you think.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
When we would figure out the amount of time we would need to get to the airport or the next activity, a lot of time we would add another 30 minutes for the unexpected. More times than not we needed that extra 30 minutes, because we took a wrong turn, the train was delayed, or we didn’t realize we had to buy a ticket at a different location. But it wasn’t stressful, because we had given ourself plenty of time.
Do Not Eat Near a Touristy Spot
This one is kind of obvious, but just wanted to add it, because we fell for it once. I’m so ashamed to say it, but we did. We ended up paying triple for a meal, just because it was close to a touristy spot. Walk a few blocks down the road, it will be worth it.
I will say some of these lessons did come with some funny stories. Stories I would like to not relive, but still funny. So making mistakes and learning comes with the territory, don’t let it get you down. Sometime things don’t work out the way you like, and that’s okay.
