Last year, after my 26th birthday, I published a blog called 25 (Travel) Lessons I learned when I was 25.
I recently reread it, and it’s so interesting to reflect on what can happen and how much you can grow in a year.
So, I’ve decided to make it an annual tradition for myself to write a list of things I’ve learned that year. Who knows if they will always be travel related, and who knows if this blog will exist to publish it publicly, but I shall write them, nonetheless.
26 was another big year of travel lessons for me. I :
Explored 30 Cities
Took 38 Flights
Visited 16 countries
So here are 26 travel lessons I learned when I was 26.
Read to the end for 3 bonus non-travel related lessons too…
1. Day Trips Take You Beyond The Main Attractions.
I like to make the most of wherever I am. Something I’ve done a lot this year, is taking day trips from which ever big city I’ve visited, to a smaller town nearby. It never disappoints and it’s a great way to experience life in a country beyond the tourist hub in the city centre.
2. Always Travel Hand Luggage Only.
After taking a two-week trip to China with only hand luggage, I made a pact to avoid checking a bag onto a plane where ever possible. Checking in and out of hotels is easier, navigating new streets is faster and you never have to experience the hell that is the baggage carousel in an airport.
3. I’m Grateful To Work At Skyscanner.
I get teased for how much I talk about my job, but it’s true, I do love it. This year I travelled abroad for five weeks, because of the travel benefit Skyscanner gives all staff. I worked in our Miami office for 2 1/2 weeks still getting to explore in my evenings and weekends, and successfully extended my usually short Scottish summer to last until mid-October.
4. Tapas Is Wonderful.
Call me crazy, but until this year I had never tried, nor wanted to try, Tapas. Lisbon changed everything.
5. Hong Kong Hotels Are Tiny.
I had heard about the room sizes in Hong Kong before I arrived, but not until I could lie in bed and touch both walls and saw my shower directly above the toilet bowl, did I truly believe it.
6. Airbnb Hosting Isn’t Scary.
I’m not sure if this is a travel lesson, but in addition to using Airbnb is I also began hosting. Other than in Edinburgh’s peak month, August, I haven’t had that many bookings. But it’s been a great experience, and a chance to meet people from all over the world. CHECK OUT MY LISTING HERE
7. Chinese Hikes = A Lot Of Stairs.
There are mountains in China, there are many incredible hikes in China, but every single one of them I have found has been a staircase rather than walking up an actual hill. It’s great for fitness and your glutes, but it burns! (Oh, and there are always queues to get up or down).
8. The Grand Mosque Is Stunning.
The Grand Mosque is the most beautiful thing I saw this year, and possibly ever. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Abu Dhabi, even for a layover, do it. The Mosque was peaceful and powerful in a way I have never experienced a building to be before.
9. Utilise Long Layovers As A Travel Hack.
On that note, if you can add a long layover to your journey, do it. It’s a great way to add a whistle-stop tour of an extra destination, without much extra cost or time required. Be sure to plan ahead to maximise your time there and make sure you don’t miss your connecting flight!
10. Always Carry Your Passport In China.
I learned this one at the train station in Shanghai after an early alarm to take a day trip to Suzhou. It’s not possible to buy a train ticket in China without a passport even if the train is only going 45 minutes out the city. Carry your passport with you while you travel in China to avoid any disappointment.
11. Firework Safety Doesn’t Exist In Germany.
I learned this lesson near midnight on December 31. Walking into Hamburg, we could hear the fireworks, and after turning the corner we saw them. It doesn’t seem that Hamburg (or Germany?) has any regulations on where you can set off fireworks. It was utter madness, and bizarrely a strange thrill.
12. Hot Air Balloons Should Be On Everyone’s Bucket List.
I never imagined this would be something I learned this year, but I’m so grateful that I got the chance. The feeling of lifting off the ground in a woven basket with no engine or safety harnesses, is a thrill and at the same time oddly peaceful. I’ve never experienced anything like it.
13. Checking In Late Increases Your Chances Of A Good Seat.
A travel lesson from me to you. The later you check in online for low cost carrier flights (the ones that do everything they can to get you to pay for a seat), the higher your chances of being assigned a good seat at the front for free. Airlines hang on to the good seats for as long as possible in the hope that someone will pay for them, but eventually all the middle seats will get used up and they’ll have to put you in a nice roomy aisle seat for free.
14. Travelling To LGBT Welcoming Countries Is Liberating.
I have a lot of thoughts on this, and there’s probably a whole blog on this point alone that I haven’t worked out how to write. But travelling to an LGBT friendly country gives me a feeling of bliss that I can explain. It’s empowering, relaxing, and a breath of fresh air. Shout out to Stockholm and Madrid for the two trips where I felt safe to be 1000% myself the entire time.
15. Venice Is Busy.
Venice is busy. Enough said.
16. Being A Tour Guide Is Fun.
This year I learned that it can be great fun being a tour guide in your home city. As travellers we see cities differently to those who don’t and having the opportunity to show Glo from TheBlogAbroad around Edinburgh made me realise just how lucky I am to live here.
17. I Want To Live In A Shipping Container.
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of tiny houses, and minimalist living. Right now I live in a one bed flat that I’ve kept quite minimal. But after staying in this shipping container twice in the last year, I know I want to live in one full time in my future.
18. Flying Across The World For A Concert Is A Great Idea.
When you have a pact with your best friend to go see Christina Aguilera the next time she tours, no matter where in the world, and then she announces a US-only tour, you book the flights to Miami.
19. Airbnbs Are Better Than Hotels.
People ask me how I afford to travel, and Airbnb is always on my list of reasons. You get double the space, for half the price. This year I’ve stayed in the above-mentioned shipping container, a condo in Miami, an apartment in Cartagena and a rooftop loft in Lisbon. Airbnb is the best way to truly experience a new city as close as you can get to a local experience without knowing someone who lives there.
20. Always Stay In A Riad in Morocco
Riads are perfectly decorated, tranquil oases away from the noise and mayhem of the rest of Morocco. Specifically, in Marrakesh, riads are the most popular form of accommodation and an absolute must when you visit. Find one with a rooftop area, for some sunbathing away from any gazing eyes. And be sure to ask about their dinner options to enjoy homemade local cuisine by the courtyard pool after a day in the busy streets.
21. ‘Mild’ in Mexico Isn’t Mild.
‘Spicy’ in Mexico is a very different measurement to ‘spicy’ in a Scottish Mexican restaurant. I am a basic white girl and I cannot handle any form of spice.
22. Shanghai Is Like Vegas On Steroids
Shanghai was nothing like I expected. I stepped off the train out of China and into Vegas on steroids. The lights, the noise, the traffic, it was very intense and not something introverted me was ready for. I’m glad I went, but it’s not somewhere I could consider living.
23. I Enjoy (Occasionally) Being Bougie
This year was the first year I really treated myself to a few travel luxuries. After years of budget hostels and public transport, I can treat myself to a little luxury from time to time. I stayed in my first 5* hotel and rented a private driver to take a day trip. It’s certainly not something I can afford to do every trip, but I loved it a little more than I care to admit.
24. Choose To See Places For Yourself.
I already knew this, but this year’s travel confirmed it. If I only travelled to places based on other people’s recommendations and experiences, I wouldn’t have been to half the places I saw this year. Yes, Morocco is manic, and Hamburg doesn’t have 1000 things to do, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy these trips. Take the recommendations, speak to people who have been the places you’re going, but ultimately make your own decision once you’ve seen it for yourself.
25. Travelling With Others Is Rewarding.
I have always been a passionately solo traveller. I never liked any suggestion that I only travelled solo because I had no one to go with, it’s an active choice and I genuinely love it. That being said, this year I opened myself up to the idea of travelling with others, and loved it equally as much. It’s a different experience, but there are benefits of both and from now on I hope to find a balance.
26. Staycations Are Fun.
I had a few staycations this year and I loved every single one of them. Sometimes you don’t have to travel 1000 miles for an adventure, and a staycation is the perfect way to tame that travel bug on a budget or when you don’t have much time. It also helps that I live in one of the best cities and countries in the world.
Three Bonus (Non-Travel) Lessons I learned at 26.
Roaccutane can ruin, then transform your life
After 6+ gruelling months of taking Roaccutane to help my acne, I had my first year ever of going to beaches and gyms makeup free, waking up with someone and not immediately covering up and feeling confident enough to expose my back photos wearing summery outfits and bikinis. It was a challenging time while I took it, but it overhauled my self confidence in ways I can’t imagine. S
Say Yes To Spontaneity
When a cute girl messages at 10pm asking you to join her and her friends for drinks, go. Even if you’re already on the sofa in your sweats. Spontaneity is not part of my MO, and I’d choose night-in over night-out any day. But my biggest lesson at 26: When you get an invite or an opportunity, say yes! It can lead to more than you’d ever imagine.
Be Passionate
26 has been a year of exploring my passions. It led me to launching a website, organising my company’s first ever Pride march and speaking up on LGBT issues I never thought I was qualified or articulate enough to address. I still have a long way to go with this, but I’m learning more and more that I am capable of change and that passion, drive and persistence is the way to achieve it.
