While visiting new destinations can be exciting, navigating unfamiliar terrain can be challenging. To make the most out of your travels, it's essential to have a few universal skills under your belt. Here are some unique skills that prepare you for the adventure ahead.
1. Riding a Motorbike or Bicycle
These are the most prevalent modes of transportation in many parts of the world, and they are also the finest for taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of a new place. Learning how to use them will improve your travel experience.
2. First Aid Skills
Whether you're taking a trip alone or with a group, it's wise to prepare yourself for any emergency by knowing how to utilize a first aid kit, CPR, and the Heimlich maneuver on yourself and others. Possessing this skill gives you more confidence in a variety of everyday, non-medical situations.
3. Map Reading
Despite the prevalence of GPS devices, being able to read a map is still a vital ability to have, especially in remote locations where there is no mobile phone reception. It's also helpful when trekking, driving, or getting around a city where you would want to keep some info on hand in an emergency. You can also get a feel for a new area by studying maps of it before you visit.
4. Haggle
The ability to do so is necessary to avoid purchasing anything at full retail cost. And bargaining is helpful in more situations than you may imagine it would be. For instance, it comes in handy whenever for hotel bookings. Even if you don't get a reduction, you may still be able to negotiate for additional perks.
5. Estimate Conversions
There is a significant gap between the value of 500 U.S. dollars and 500 Mexican pesos. Suppose you can estimate how much a meal, a bus trip, or a train ticket will cost in your home currency. In that case, you will be better able to avoid purchasing over your spending limit.
Similarly, some regions may prefer one set of units of measurement over another, such as kilometers, liters, and Celsius versus miles, gallons, and Fahrenheit. These are important to ensure you navigate the roads safely, place drink orders at restaurants, and select appropriate attire for the weather.
6. Learn The Local Language
The best travelers come equipped with a small but helpful vocabulary of the locality they visit. This allows them to feel comfortable in unfamiliar settings and wins them the favor of the locals. Use an app like Duolingo to learn the fundamentals, such as introducing yourself, saying yes or no, counting from one to ten, and placing a basic restaurant order.
7. Talking To Strangers
When we travel, we encounter individuals whose lives are vastly distinct from our own. If you view travel as an educational opportunity, you should develop an interest in the places and people you visit. Frequently, you can learn a great deal by conversing with strangers. You obtain insight into their lives and connect with them in unique ways. Learn how to initiate conversations effectively.
8 Driving a Stick
This dying skill is essential for getting around in nations where most automobiles only have manual gearboxes. Stick shifts are less expensive to hire, even if automatics are more frequent at your destination. If you're going somewhere where manual automobiles are the norm, taking some lessons before you go is a good idea.
9. Eating Everything
Eating strange food and making it through is one of the best parts about traveling. The Israeli locusts or the Chinese century egg come to mind. And you frequently hear the locals promoting how healthy they are. It can be difficult for some people with weak stomachs. Yet, being a picky eater won't make things better. Being daring is the only way to toughen your stomach and taste buds.
10. Photography/Journaling
You need to document your adventure; how else can you achieve this without pictures and taking notes about happenings? Photography makes you more aware of your surroundings. Once you begin looking for photos, you see much more of the world than if you are walking through it. These memories also will serve to cure your travel bugs someday.
This thread inspired this post.
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