6 Things I’ve Learned, Travelling the World at 18

Glen / 13 Comments / July 28th, 2008 / Subscribe via RSS

I’ve been very fortunate to have been to some of the most beautiful and far out places in the world in the first 18 years of my life (I’ve just turned 19) and wanted to share the main points that I’ve learned from all these different cultures. My main realisations have came since I moved to South Africa on my own, that is to say without knowing one single person in the country. Needless to say I’m loving the experience and have spent the last 8 months here.

Travelling is a big passion of mine, although I only recently realised it and is a big reason that I want my internet efforts to be my main source of income; so I can do more of it.

My Story

I count myself very lucky that I’ve been able to travel to a number of countries; here are a few places on my list:

• England / Scotland / Germany
• France / Spain / Portugal
• Turkey / Vietnam / Thailand
• Netherlands / South Africa

Asia has definitely been the favourite place on my list due to the friendly people, the comfortable (and cheap) lifestyle along with the general safety of the countries. I’ll probably be leaving South Africa at the start of next year (Jan 09) and not sure where I’ll be heading next, possibly America.

6 Things I’ve Learned

1. You can do it if you want too

I’m certainly not from a rich family nor am I a rich person myself; I’ve just taken opportunities when they arise. Due to my status in the internet marketing industry, I was spotted by a company in South Africa and offered a job to work with them full-time. At first I didn’t think I could do it because it would mean quitting my job in England and quitting college where I had spent 2 years.

It was my mom who said “if you want to do it, then do it” and that showed me how possible it really was. My dad laughed and thought I was joking when I told him on the phone, but he was behind me as long as I really wanted to go. If you really want to do something, go out there and do it, life isn’t going to give you a helping hand unless you take action.

2. It is easy to be overwhelmed, but you will settle in

When I first arrived in South Africa, I received a culture shock to say the least. It was the first time that I’ve ever lived on my own or even went abroad on my own (apart from Scotland) so everything was a huge change for me. Even the office environment working in an industry I love was such a change because I used to work for myself at home in England.

Although things might seem very different at first, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can actually get settled in and then begin to enjoy new cultures and experiences. Don’t let your initial reactions put you off if they aren’t positive as there is so much more you can and will experience.

3. Know what you are getting yourself in for

I did my research on South Africa before coming here and found that it has the highest crime rate of any country in the world, therefore once I got here and heard all the bad stories and situations people have gone through I wasn’t shocked and didn’t immediately want to leave.

Of course, it is not a great place to be in terms of safety but as long as you stay out of the worst areas then you should be OK. Do your research before you go, this should really be a must anyway in terms of knowing if you need vaccinations, great landmarks you can visit or even which restaurants people recommend.

My family in Vietnam (I took the photo)

4. Be willing to adapt

Although I’m sure most of you take this as an obvious step, you would be surprised at how some people can be when they are in other countries. By this I mean respect the laws and traditions that are common in the area you are visiting.

For example, if you usually drive irrationally and fast because you can get away with it, don’t think that it’s going to be the same everywhere (and stop driving like a fool anyway). Some countries feel disrespected when people walk around in bare feet so do your best to find out what is usual and acceptable before you visit.

5. Embrace every destination

When I was younger and travelled to countries like Spain or the Netherlands, all I wanted to do was lie around on the beach or spend my time swimming. Whilst these are fun activities and much better when the weather is hot, it’s not something I couldn’t do in other countries around the world.

Unless you really like a place, it’s unlikely you will visit it multiple times so make the most of your experience. Do this by taking part in cultural activities like when I ate snakes in Vietnam or visit landmarks like Table Mountain (above) here in Cape Town. Really embrace your experience in every location and you honestly will get the most out of it, don’t just do what you could do in pretty much any other destination.

6. Don’t get too attached

Whether this is with the place you visit or the people you meet, it can be very easy to get attached when you are in a new environment. I’ve found places very difficult to leave because of some of the awesome people I’ve met or the awesome surroundings I had. The best way to get over this is not to view leaving a location as a loss but view all the positives.

Appreciate all the things you’ve experienced in your journey and the fact that you’ll be moving onto somewhere else (another place or your home) which can’t be a bad situation either. Of course, if you really fall in love with a place and the people, never be afraid to spend more time there if that is what you want.

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