The timing couldn’t have been better. After years of going through the system, collecting advice and experiences, you keep hearing the same regrets of lost travel opportunities—and knew I didn’t want to be part of that fold. And there it was, this beautiful chunk of time between my exams and convocation, before real responsibility, and with no driving force to stay anywhere in particular. The plans slowly came together, and after an email over to editor-in-chief, Jen McNeely—look who’s a travel blogger! Any travel, any time, is a good thing. But as a young human on the cusp of reality, what better time to learn a thing or two about myself, travelling, and life? So, like a collector of touristy fridge magnets, I collected some lessons along the way. And now, it’s really only fair to pass them along.

Punctuality matters (so do time zones).

In your own city, you know your way around and don’t have to account for “lost time” AKA time you will inevitably spend being lost. Abroad, “lost time” makes a difference. Without giving yourself a buffer, you will most certainly miss you train, plane, ferry, and other thing that does not wait. Also, check your time zones! Everywhere you go. Check them. You can go about the whole day thinking you’re being totally punctual, but the world has other plans. And trust me when I say you will never feel more idiotic than when you’ve missed, say, a ferry, in say, Athens, that is supposed to LITERALLY TAKE YOU TO PARADISE because you didn’t reset your clock. Doh.

Make a system. Keep the system.

When backpacking, all you have is your mind, body, and backpack. Living out of something so small can be frustrating at the beginning, but you will find your groove! Utilize each separate compartment and create systems you can rely on. Afterwards, packing and repacking becomes a breeze. Someone always needs to borrow a hairbrush or look at your passport, and you’ll know exactly they are! The more habits you can build in an ever-changing environment, the better.

You don’t know someone(‘s lowest low) until you’ve travelled with them.

People say you don’t know someone until you’ve lived with them. We get that. But imagine living with someone when the food, language, people, and surroundings are changing every few days. If seeing someone at their worst while living with them is seeing them in a muddy face mask, then seeing someone at their worst while travelling is seeing a person who can’t even find the right face cream—and they’re hallucinating from dehydration. In these moments, you have to be there for each other. People get homesick, fatigued, antsy, etc. It happens, and you happen to be front row centre for the show every day. For your sanity, for their sanity, and for safety, if someone is a mood, you just have to ride it out. Even though you’re in a high-pressure environment, you can’t let something as small as a spat over how you’re retelling a story become overblown and get in the way of your friendship and the trip. You pray that your travel buddies will adapt. But there are times when that fails and you have rise to the occasion by being comforting, up your game, and…

Be strong when you need to be.

In the words of my mother, “I am strong when I need to be.” Truer words have never been spoken in regards to travel. Along this trip, patience levels were strained. Once, I got on a 4am bus to find out it arrived at 7pm, not 7am. Then I woke up on said bus to find an old woman beside me, puking into a plastic bag. Woah. Breathe. Be safe and be strong, while still trying to push yourself beyond your limits. If you’re doing it right, there will be times when you’re a little afraid. You will be tested. Pick your battles. And if all else fails, try to remind yourself: How could I be that upset when I am travelling in/to (insert amazing place here)? Keep everything in perspective and be a travel warrior.  

There are nice people out there.

No one trusts each other anymore. Obviously, use your judgment and have your wits about you—but know that sometimes people are just nice! And when you’re out of your element, it’s a wonderful feeling to let someone help you and find out that they truly just wanted to help. In the same city that we were pointed and laughed at for being tourists, there was a man who argued with a bus driver for overcharging us, paid for our bus tickets, took us to a travel agent to speak the language, set us up with transportation out of there, and then got on his transfer bus without even an exchange of names. You never know what gems you will meet! It’s just up to you to put the right kind of guard up. Instincts help. But it is comforting to realize that despite what we may hear and read, people can still be kind.

Travelling doesn’t change you—travelling makes you self-aware.

“I went on a trip, and I came back a different person!!!” Well, no, you are still you, even after a journey. But maybe you know yourself and the world a bit better. Just look at this list! I’m not the new Danielle, but I am a little older and wiser, and I’ve seen some parts of the world that I’m incredibly lucky to have seen. Am I a different person? Nope. I’m still a version of six-year-old me, dancing and singing to the Grease soundtrack in my underwear. But I’ve evolved. For example, nowadays I wear bottoms in public. And maybe from this trip I found out things I could change to better myself—but recognizing that is just the start. A great start. You go, self-awareness!  

At the end of the day, a huge realization is that a few of these realizations came from the “lower” points of the Euro Trip: The uncertainties and the times when things weren’t going to plan. This is a testament to the fact that a really great way to grow and surprise yourself is to set yourself up for those adventures and challenges. Looking back, it is hilarious that we mistook a 15-hour bus for a three-hour one. And we knew it would be funny…once we got off the bus (never again). Even if you find yourself floundering, just takes notes! There is no point in making mistakes if you’re not going to try to learn from them. You’ll get ‘em next time. Whether you are going into a relatively unplanned backpacking tour or just testing out a new flavour of toothpaste, you’re going to come out with a new experience—and that is almost always for the better. So…when’s the next trip?