Five Lessons I’ve Learned Traveling on four Continents

At age 17 I moved to Sweden to study for a year and was immediately hooked on travel. I’ve since lived and worked in Switzerland, Italy, and Spain and tallied over 40 countries for shorter visits, before and after helping my wife, Cicely, start Travel Fever Tours.

I suppose I can claim to have learned a few things about living and traveling abroad and I’d like to share them with you.

Consider yourself an ambassador

I have no illusions that masses of Americans laying on the beach in Mexico is going to bring peace and understanding to the world, but I do believe travel can help if done thoughtfully.  

When I travel, I am in contact with people from other cultures. These people will be forming opinions about the US based on their interactions with me, an American. So I want to be sure to be on my best behavior. I am respectful of these cultures and the ways they differ from my own. I am polite. I make sure I have at least a few words of the local language. Most of all, I don’t travel with the expectation that other people should be just like me or should change to match my expectations.  

Don’t try too hard to act like a local

When I first moved to Sweden I tried so hard to dress, talk, and even walk like a local. I was obsessed with fitting in. It was a worthwhile goal, but now realize that I will never be anyone other than myself. Any by trying to remain completely invisible, I was cutting myself off from people and limiting my activities.

Certainly, I don’t want to stand out overly as a foreigner, but I’ve come to relax about it. I do my best to be sensitive and avoid the stereotype of the ugly American, but I am who I am. And I try never to limit myself from interacting with people.

Meet people

We all like to see the Eifel Tower in Paris or the Colosseum in Rome, but it isn’t the landmarks that make for rewarding travel.  It is the people we meet.  They are how we learn about a country and a culture. Talking with people is how we come to understand each other.  And these interactions create the most memorable portions of our travels.

Mostly, this means I can’t worry too much about embarrassing myself. I put my fears aside, introduce myself, ask questions! I risk making a fool of myself.

Take risks

Don’t be afraid of new things. Make the effort to get off the beaten path. Some of the best places we’ve found while traveling has been when my wife and I have turned the car to explore the narrowest roads and most remote locations.

And one of my most-told stories involves a nighttime search for a hotel, riding on the back of a motorbike (with my suitcase) across islands in the Mekong River in southern Laos. It was not something I do every day and that is exactly the point.

Stay safe

At the same time, don’t overdo it. I’ve found the hard way that filing a police report in Spanish can be a challenge. (Fortunately, this has only happened once.)

It is clear that we get the most out of our travels when we’re safe and healthy. So take care of yourself.