With all due respect to Robert Fulghum, you can learn a lot more outside of the classroom than you can in it.
Here are some of the things I learned from traveling around the world for four years:
Be patient. You will experience flight delays, screwed up food orders and lost hotel reservations. Take it in stride.
Live simply. Everything you need you can carry in one bag, maybe two. You have no idea how useless most of the stuff you own is until you are forced to go without it.
Always take time to recharge your batteries. This isn't some sort of alliterative way of saying you should take time to rest. I literally mean you should make sure to keep the batteries in your devices charged. Resting is good too, however.
The best things are not always the most expensive things. You can often have a better experience eating street food or staying in a hostel than you can at a five star restaurant or hotel.
Take the wisdom of others who have gone before you. You will meet travelers who have been where you are going. Listen to them and take their advice
Don't make a scene. Travelers who get a bad reputation are the ones who are loud and cause a fuss. Keep to yourself, lower your voice and it will solve many problems.
Try it, you just might like it. You don't know what you like until you try it. If you don't like it, you never have to try it again.
Wash your hands. This is especially after using a squat toilet. Doubly true if there is no toilet paper.
Eat lots of fruit. Try to eat fruit every chance you get. It is good and good for you.
A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet. This old adage is actually true.
Take time to observe. There is more you can learn from sitting at a cafe or pub than you can from a reading a book. The little things are often important.
Walk in the shoes of others. If you think a place is exotic and foreign, just imagine what they think of you.
Saying "hello" in another person's language can go a long way. Taking the time to learn a few words of another language can sometimes do more than having a full conversation in your own.
Don't be afraid to haggle. If you don't stick up for yourself, no one else will. Asking for a better price might actually increase the respect people have for you.
Gary Arndt has been traveling around the world non-stop since March 2007. You can follow his adventures on Facebook or RSS. You can also get a free copy of his 50 Favorite Travel Photos ebook.
Follow Gary Arndt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/EverywhereTrip
Duane Elgin: 8 Expressions of Simplicity for Healthy Living
www.happierthanabillionaire.com
- Mark Twain
Travelling has changed how I view both the world and myself, and I hope it continues to do so and to challenge me, because otherwise why would I do it? :) It's fun!
http://www.marksmayo.com - my travels around South America, and my upcoming travels too
... and I would advise others to do the same. The pictures and information you share to the world will not help others, but acts as a diary that you may never lose. Unless you fail to pay you web host :)
http://www.thecandytrail.com/
the candy trail ... | Michael Robert Powell - nomadic across the planet, SINCE 1988
http://www.soultravelers3.com/
Our child was 5 when we began and is now 10 and it's been an awesome world school education! It's cheaper, easier, more fun and a better education that most people realize and tech makes it easier today than ever. Learning to speak some of the local language really is a great tip and is so appreciated. Our American child is now very fluent in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese & bits of many languages and that has enriched all of our experiences so much. Understanding a language helps you understand a culture more deeply.