Why Travel Experience is the Best Teacher

Introduction

In this article, I’ll be talking about why Travel is the Best Teacher and what you can learn from it.

There are so many learning opportunities out there.

School, university, online classes, apprenticeships etc. The list goes on. Each offers plenty of value, depending on what your goals are. Learning opportunities are not restricted to those typical platforms though.

Let’s dive in.

Getting Lost in Budapest

My heartbeat just a little faster, not for the first time that day either. A nervous bead of sweat rolled down my forehead as I looked left and right, squinting into the late afternoon sun. The mid-summer heat sapped my energy as I slumped back into the leather seat before finally accepting the reality.

I was lost.  

Lost in a strange city. Lost and frustrated trying to read road signs in a foreign language with no option but to pull over and reset. Take a few deep breaths and try and work out how to get to our apartment in a city full of apartment blocks that all looked the same. All with an increasingly irritable 18-month-old in the back seat.  

At first, thoughts turned desperate. But, it was time for a clear head. Not have a meltdown. I would leave that to the toddler behind me. Easier said than done, but after a couple of unsettling moments, I managed to work it all out and finally get to our apartment.  

Once safely parked up and knowing I could relax, I rest my head in my hands in relief. A smiling old man with weathered, creased skin, peered through the windscreen at us. Likely wondering what was going on with the people in the car with the foreign number plate. I could only smile and wave to him before he shuffled his way down the quiet street with his little fox terrier.

Getting lost is not an uncommon tale from the road. We have all been lost before, but when it happens in a foreign country, it makes this type of situation just that much tenser.

Passing the Test

In the streets of Budapest, where this particular incident took place, I was genuinely a bit scared – as much for me as for my family. At one point, it felt like we would never find it. Yet, when I reminisce about that hot July afternoon,  it is a memory that I look back on and remember with a smile. For one reason only.

I had passed the test. I had only been lost for a short time, but with the anxiety and worry that briefly had me under what seemed to be a lot of pressure, I had come out on top. Much to the relief of everyone in our Peugeot that day.  

And that dear readers, is one small example of why I believe travel and the situations you encounter can create some of the best learning experiences you can have.

The School of Life

When we talk about learning, often the first thing that comes to mind is school. Once school is finished some go on to university or college education. Notwithstanding, these are vitally important institutions for career progression and opportunity, as are many other learning platforms.  

But what else is out there?

In my opinion, and to go alongside the degrees and diplomas, some of the most vastly underestimated forms of education are the lessons travel experiences can teach you.  

Many of the most invaluable life lessons I have learned have come from being on the road. When I think about it, I would say that these life lessons have shaped the man I am today more than any textbook or classroom lesson has.  

From driving the hectic streets of Rome, to hawking for souvenirs at markets in Ho Chi Minh City or trekking the Himalayas. Every single day on the road, countless life lessons have been taught. Lessons in resilience, empathy, creativity, self-awareness and time management among so many others. However, these lessons are often overlooked as travel stories.

Stories or Lessons

Travel stories are a broad term, often used for everything that happens on the road. By digging a bit deeper, we can take much more from the situations we sometimes find ourselves in. When that happens, we can learn to differentiate between travel stories and travel lessons. They are very different things.

Sitting in our comfortable home environment, we are rarely challenged with typical day-to-day stuff. There is usually a quick fix. If our car breaks down, we ring a local mechanic, who speaks the language we do. Communication is rarely a problem. If we have trouble finding somewhere, it’s not so difficult as we can get and understand directions relatively clearly.

That changes when pretty much any menial task, a task that we may do daily at home, moves to a foreign and strange environment. Sometimes, the most basic and simple chore can mean hours of frustration. One time, an hour was lost perusing the shelves of a dark supermarket in Germany, trying to find a certain type of milk for our toddler. It was only the following morning when I realised I had come back with a bottle of cream, which ruined his breakfast and the start of our day.

By exposing yourself to these environments, you have the opportunity to learn so much more about yourself (and others). You develop a certain type of resilience and resourcefulness by forcing yourself to think outside the square in ways you would never have the chance to do at home, where everything is relatively familiar.  

The Learning Opportunity

When the answer is never quite so obvious, you need to develop skills on the fly to get what you want. Decent communication skills are essential to get by in some environments. For those who don’t have the confidence in these situations, believe me, you learn real quick – especially if it means getting food in your belly. There is no better learning opportunity in that sense. Yet, stories involved in these types of situations are referred to just as that. Travel stories. The real story is the travel lesson.

Travel is rich with learning opportunities and the ultimate souvenir is a broader perspective

Rick Steves

Why don’t we regard these life experiences and lessons learned with higher regard?  

Put simply, many people who have attained these experiences over many years will continue to put these lessons learned abroad as secondary to that certificate or diploma. Is that right? Not always. Not when nearly every job out there requires a person of character, self-awareness and integrity as a core part of the role. The irony is that most of these life skills aren’t necessarily taught passively in a classroom or lecture hall – only by life experience.  

I’m not saying that travel is the only way to learn these skills, far from it, but one thing I do know is there is no better school for it.

My Challenge for You

Right now, I would like to set you a challenge.

Write down a list of your three most memorable experiences (travel or not) where things didn’t quite go right, but you came out the other side. Bonus points if you remember it with a smile. It may be as simple as getting lost in a strange city or encountering a language barrier in a restaurant.

Once you have done that, consider what skills you used or even learned to get out of that situation. Think carefully about it. You will be surprised at what you come up with.

Next, put those skills up against what you do for a job now. Or a role you aspire to in the future. By practicing this little exercise, I’m sure you will think about those travel stories a little differently going forward.

When I travel now, I crave these learning opportunities. I regard travel as the best learning opportunity out there. Sure, the alpine mountain peaks of Switzerland can provide a pretty awesome photo opportunity too, but trying to manage limited funds in that country, (one of the most expensive on the planet) is something else.

Two Important Lessons

Many lessons stand out for me, but I will leave you with just two.

Firstly, the most important thing you can do is set an example and be the best tourist you can be. Show manners, smile and be polite. These small behaviours have rarely given me a bad or forgettable experience.  If there is a universal language, these three behaviours are part of it. Sometimes, you don’t even need to talk to feel like you have made a friend with a friendly local. Many of us have heard the ‘bad tourist’ stories, whether it be the spring break crowd in America or drunken Bali tourists. Don’t be like that.

Secondly, learn something in the local language. Even if it is just one word. Maybe a ‘gracias’ in a Spanish-speaking country, or a ‘Buongiorno’ in Italy. It goes a long way and I promise you, nearly every time brings a smile to the locals. Don’t be afraid to feel a bit silly if it is a bit uncomfortable at first. Not only does it give them a reason to smile, you feel a little less foreign, even if it is the only word you know. Google Translate is my go-to when on the road.

As far as learning a language, Duolingo has been on my phone for a couple of years now. You will be surprised how much you can learn in just a few minutes.

Conclusion

There you go. Value those degrees and qualifications and pursue your career dreams. Yet put them in perspective with what else the world can teach you.  

Those lessons are just as valuable and long-lasting.

So, over to you.

Tell me in the comments about your favourite travel lessons. What lessons has life on the road taught you?