My 8 month trip is coming to an end. I have less than two weeks left in New Zealand before I head home for a few months. Gearing up to go home makes me think a lot about how much has gone on in my life since I left the country and where my life is going. I’ll tell you about my future plans in a bit, but for now I’d like to share some stuff that I’ve learned on this incredible journey: 10 Things I've Learned While Traveling 1. You’re going to look like a tourist. This was rule number one that I very quickly got over. If the large bags and accent doesn’t make it obvious, the camera hanging around your neck definitely does. And you know what? That’s okay. Because you ARE a tourist (as much as I hate to admit it). And if someone doesn’t like that, then that’s really their problem and not yours. Personally, I hate looking like a tourist. But really, it’s almost impossible not to look like one, so you might as well embrace it. Just make sure people don’t take advantage of you because of it. 2. You can always make things fit into suitcases. Throwback to when Sam and I had to make our checked bags weigh only 20 kilos and had to find, buy and subsequently stuff carry on suitcases to compensate for the weight difference on a rainy night in Berlin. Seriously, you might need to get a little creative but it’ll always fit. And if it doesn’t, you can probably get rid of something so that it can. 3. Languages are hard. They can lead to a lot of frustration, especially if you need something important. They can also make it hard to make friends and even when you do, they can make you feel isolated being the only person in the room that can’t understand the conversation swirling around you. But English is also really hard. I’ve been asked and answered multiple questions about my language from people who speak it as a second language. Languages are a pretty hard thing to master, but honestly just paying attention can get you plenty of places, even if you don’t know the language. 4. It’s okay to ask questions. This follows the languages thing pretty closely. You can’t know what’s going on all the time, not even in a country where you can speak the language. Asking questions doesn’t mean you’re dumb or you can’t figure things out on your own. It’s much better to just get an answer than be lost. This is a pretty good lesson to learn for any situation, not just travel. 5. Being in another country is real life. This one I’m still learning. There are days where I feel like this isn’t real. I’m away from what feels normal, so therefore this can’t be normal, right? I have a sneaky suspicion that I’d feel this way regardless of the travel I’ve done since “normal” for me up until this last year has been having my life structured around school. And I definitely don’t have that any more. Well, I guess getting used to the new normal will be the next thing on the to do list. 6. The moon is the same. Okay, so this doesn’t make sense. But it does. Let me explain. The moon is forever unchanging, a piece of consistency. No matter where I am in the world, the moon is always the same, even if the stars that surround it are unfamiliar. What I’m getting at is the moon serves as a great reminder that no matter where you are, no matter the amount of unfamiliar territory you’re crossing, no matter how different everything feels, you can always find something to remind you of home. This has been the biggest discovery for me, and this started way before this trip. It was something I found when I moved from Florida to Minnesota almost 5 years ago and it’s the same now. These reminders won’t be obvious, but they’ll be there. Just remember that no matter how far out of your comfort zone you are, it doesn’t mean you’re never going to be comfortable again. Just like the moon amongst the stars, you can always find the familiar in the unfamiliar. 7. Skype can sometimes be really cool, but can sometimes make you feel even further away. In fact, I think this is the same for the internet/most social media platforms in general. Facebook can make you feel like you aren’t missing out because you can see what all your friends are up to, or you can see a photo off all your friends having a reunion or your old soccer team getting ready for preseason or your old water polo team living it up in California and then all of a sudden you feel like you’re missing so much. I do think the pros outweigh the cons; obviously I love being able to chat to my best friends and family so easily while in another country, but there’s always that painful few seconds of silence once you hang up that makes you realize they were never really there. I’m not saying I want the internet or social media to go away by any means, I just wish being away from people you care about wasn’t so hard sometimes. 8. You don’t always need to know where you’re going. I mean this both literally and figuratively. Literally, Sam and I were able to discover a lot of really cool things in the different cities we went to by being almost completely lost. Figuratively, just because you don’t know where you’re going doesn’t necessarily mean your life doesn’t have a direction. You don’t always need to know what you’re going to do in a year, in 6 months or even tomorrow, and you certainly don’t need to know what you’re going to do for the rest of your life at this very instant. Worrying about what’s ahead can make you lose the moments you have right now. I’m not saying that you can’t plan (obviously some planning does have to happen), but life is way more fun when you can live for today; let the future happen when you get there. 9. A year isn’t a lot of time. This was something that I talked to a friend about not to long ago (over Skype, naturally. In this case it made me feel closer, rather than farther!). When I graduated from Macalester, I had a very long talk with this friend about what we wanted to do, where we wanted to go, etc. At that time, the idea of being in one place or in one job for a whole year felt like a massive amount of time, and something I was unsure I wanted to commit to. But what I’ve come to realize on this trip, and what my friend has also come to realize at her job, is that a year is nothing. Well, it’s not nothing, but it’s definitely not as long as I thought it was. I’ve been on this trip for 8 months and though I’ve felt “behind” at times, as compared to my friends that have started career type jobs, I’m now realizing that taking a year or two to do what you want probably isn’t going to hurt you in the long run. 10. Family is awesome. Especially mine. They’ve read at least some of my blog posts, they’ve supported me in any and every decision I’ve made, they’ve answered the phone (almost) every time I’ve called, and they’ve even trekked halfway across the world to come visit. I can’t wait to be at home so I can truly thank them for everything and give them all a huge hug. Never forget about your family, even when you’re far away. They’re the best link you have to home. I’ve learned plenty more than those 10 things, but they’re what stick out to me. But I'm not home yet. In the next two weeks, I’ve still got time for some adventures here, so there's still time to learn even more! I have some adventure time getting my warrant of fitness for the car and other organizational stuff. But also, this weekend, Dan and I are headed out to Raglan on the way to Hamilton. Raglan is a beach on the west coast and it’s known for it’s surf. I’m super pumped to go since I haven’t been there yet! As far as my future plans, I do actually have some. Even though I have them, don’t worry, I don’t truly know where I’m going so number 8 from above still applies. For those of you that don’t know, I’m coming back to New Zealand in July to see out the end of my working holiday visa, and possibly staying a bit longer. We’ll see :) I plan on taking full advantage of the 2 months I have at home though, so don’t worry, you’ll still have adventures to read about! Just as this trip began with the adventure of packing, so it ends with an adventure in packing...wish me luck! (But seriously, wish me luck. 8 months living out of a suitcase and I still haven’t learned to like packing.) PS. The pictures on this post are from when Jess and I explored around Campbell’s Bay a couple of days ago! So many cool places to see in Auckland!
2 Comments
Scott waisanen
4/19/2016 07:51:26 pm
Loved reading your post and your perspective. Traveling has always been a fun passion, but there is something special about coming home too. I look forward to hearing more stories.
Reply
Anya
6/3/2016 10:33:46 am
Thank you so much for reading, Coach! It really means a lot and I appreciate it.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Meet AnyaHi, Hola, Bonjour, Ciao!
I’m Anya Phillips, a data analyst and travel enthusiast who is always on the lookout for the next adventure! Categories
All
|