The Biggest Travel Regrets
Over the course of 10+ years of traveling, I have been lucky enough to see many parts of the world, exploring various cities, towns and cultures along the way. Since my very first adventure, I haven’t looked back since.
However, although I don’t regret traveling for a single second, I have experienced situations where I have regretted certain choices. Therefore in this blog I’ll be sharing a few of my biggest travel regrets, in the hope that others can learn and benefit from my personal experiences.
Not Learning a New Language
First and foremost, the biggest regret of mine has always been not learning a new language. For example, for me personally I have told myself time and time again I would love to learn Spanish. I have been to Spain and South America on countless occasions and before each trip I remember saying to myself I’m going to learn it properly now, and did I?… nope.
Personally, I feel learning a new language requires you to dedicate time, something which not all of us have in abundance. Moreover, I also put this down to laziness on my behalf. There are so many languages I would love to learn, and I think it would be a great aspect to add to your travel journey if you could communicate with locals more than just on the basic level.
With this being said, like most things, it’s never too late to start learning today.
Excessive Planning
Honestly, some of the best experiences I’ve had through travel have been through spontaneous decisions and plans, and I’m sure many others would agree. Therefore one regret I do have from certain trips, and what I’ve learnt from this is to avoid excessive planning. Of course, this will vary depending on the duration of your trip, and how much time you have to play with.
From experience, I’ve found planning too much can leave you limited in a number of ways. For example, you want to actually enjoy these journeys, rather than feel like you’re rushing around and tiring yourself out to see every corner, and therefore the point of the holiday becomes questionable.
Alongside this, one of the main reasons I’ve regretted over-planning is because there will be certain places you visit where you will meet like-minded others and make new friends, and therefore want to go on adventures with them. However, since you’ve already got your plans set in stone, you can potentially tie yourself up, leaving yourself at a loose end. Simply put, it’s better to be flexible when it comes to travel, rather than plan each and every detail of your days.
Too Much Luggage
When going on holiday, or traveling for a longer period of time, it can be hard to know how much to pack and take with you. Although sometimes it is best to be safe than sorry, there is such a thing as overkill, and taking too much with you can weigh you down, literally. Those random pieces of clothing you think you may wear, I’d suggest leaving at home, more often than not we don’t even wear half the clothes in our suitcase. If in doubt, you can always buy more clothing when away.
Being a Non-Driver
Personally, I’ve never felt the need to learn to drive, where I’ve lived all my life the public transport system is adequate enough to get me from A-to-B. However, the times I have felt the need to drive and regretted not learning is when traveling. For example, I’m currently residing in New Zealand for the next number of years, and although there is so much beauty and landscapes out there to see, the public transport systems here are limited to say the least.
Naturally, the more remote the area is, the harder you’ll find everywhere is to reach, unless of course you can drive. My brother visited Iceland a few years ago, and he said the same thing about there, luckily his fiancé can drive. I can think of numerous more occasions over the years while away where I’ve thought it would so handy to have a car, but ultimately I guess you have to think if it would be a want, or a need.
Not Starting Traveling Sooner
A common theme you will hear from elders and those you meet whilst traveling is their wish to have traveled when they were young, or alternatively sooner. Of course, there can be various different elements to stop you from doing so, money and time being top of the list. Traveling is honestly one of the best things you can do, experiencing new cultures and historical delights at every twist and turn, not to mention you’ll make new friends for life.
It does take courage and bravery to take that first step, a leap of faith into the unknown by all means, however once you start, you’ll get the travel bug, and you’ll be hooked.
Start Small, Think Big
This isn’t so much of a regret, but more of a few words of advice. When thinking about starting to travel, it can be easy to think of all these stunning destinations far far away. However, if you’re still nervous and on the fence about taking that first step, it’s okay to start small and think big. By this I mean start with a small trip closer to home, to get a feel for the experience and to find your feet.
Through experience, it wasn’t until only a number of years after I started traveling that I explored closer to home, and I can honestly say Europe has so many amazing locations, therefore I thought to myself why haven’t I seen more of it already. On a side note, the amount of Aussies and New Zealanders that have said to me over the years “you’re so lucky to live in Europe with so many great places right there”, I always laughed it off… now I’m living in New Zealand, so far away from anywhere else but Australia, I truly understand.
If you live in Europe, make the most of it, the continent is a joy to explore.
Not Starting Photography Sooner
One for all of those deciding whether to take up the hobby of photography, my advice would be to start as early as possible. I was on the fence for years and years, and the use of a phone for photos was enough and sufficient for me as it is for many others.
However, just over 3 years ago I decided to take photography much more seriously and therefore purchased a proper camera. Honestly, I wish I started sooner, as now I’m truly glad I joined the journey, and where it’s taken me. Photography opens yours eyes to new perspectives, a different ways of looking at things. As you progress it’s something you can look back on with pride, and moreover special memories for life.