Last updated on September 13th, 2021
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Welcome to another blog post in the My Ultimate Travel Guide collection! Today, we’re talking about travel expectations vs. reality. Here are five things I wish I knew before I started traveling.
Traveling is not as pricey.
Growing up as a child, it seemed that only the rich traveled. Only the people that had money were able to see the world. So naturally, I took this belief with me into adulthood, and it played a heavy role in my procrastination to travel, amongst other things. I thought I would never be able to afford it. But as it turns out, traveling is super affordable! And you don’t have to save for five years, either. You can start saving today, and in 6 months, you could be in the south of France, sipping on some chardonnay. So for any of you that think traveling can’t be your reality, I’m here to tell you it most certainly can be!
The Stares
As a black woman in America, I’ve always been hyper-aware of my skin color, but sometimes it’s not at the forefront of my mind. Before I travel anywhere new, I research how black people are received in each location for safety precautions. However, my research failed to mention the stares you receive as a person of color. I have never been stared at as much as I was during my time in Europe, which made me blindly aware that I was a minority in a predominantly white (& foreign!) continent. It’s like they have never seen a black person before! It can be very unnerving, but eventually, you ignore the stares and continue as if they aren’t even there. It didn’t take away from my experience, but I wish I would have known going in. Maybe it wouldn’t have been such a shock to my system.
Cash is the Way of Life When Traveling
In my everyday life, I rarely have cash on me. But, unfortunately for me, most of the world still operates on cash! So before any trip, make sure you have an adequate amount of cash to get you through the trip, especially when you’re traveling abroad. Since some parts of the world aren’t as card-friendly, I like to bring about one-third of my overall spending budget. And I only use the cash when I have no other choice. This method frees up my cash for emergencies which gives me great peace of mind! Also, if I lose my cards or they get stolen, I have backup cash to use.
Bonus Tip: When traveling, especially if the area is a high pickpocketing location, keep your money (cards & cash) in separate places on your person. So cash in one spot and cards in another. This prevents them from stealing all that you have!
What a luxury personal space is
This is one of those other things you don’t really think about. Personal space means different things to different people. In the States, we are used to our personal bubbles, and it’s almost common knowledge that you don’t get too close to someone unless those privileges have been expressly stated. Unfortunately, this is not the case everywhere, and you will soon realize the concept of personal space is almost non-existent in other cultures. I still struggle to get used to this tiny aspect of traveling, but it’s a small price I happily pay to see the wonders of the world!
Each Place Makes Me Want to See More
It’s natural to believe that if you indulge your cravings, they might disappear, at least for a little while. Not the case for me. For each place I visit, I want to see ten more locations! I’m always looking for somewhere new to go. The craving to travel has never been satiated for me, and my curiosity is ever-growing. I guess this means I’ve got a lifetime to explore!
Well, here you have it, folks: travel expectations vs. travel reality, some things you should know before traveling. I hope this post eases any worries or fears you might have about traveling and gets you pumped to adventure out in the world.
What are some aspects of traveling that haven’t fit into the expectations you had in place? Comment below!
For more travel inspiration, check out my other posts here.
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