What did I learn from travel abroad? I think one of the main things I learned was the importance of having patience. Patience with myself. Patience with strangers. Patience with new cultural norms and on a nearly constant basis, patience with all forms of public transportation. I don’t always practice this patience – like the time when I began arguing with the little old Egyptian lady who tried to cut in front of me as I waited to buy my train ticket – but I’ve learned to not get as frustrated as quickly when things don’t go as I expect them to. Like I always say, the perfect trip is often the forgettable trip. Mishaps keep it interesting.
In many countries, life moves at a much slower pace than it does in the major US cities where I’ve lived. If your vacation only involves lying on a beach for a week, this is not such a big deal. But if you’re trying to do business or get somewhere at a specific time, that nice relaxed pace can make you feel and act very un-relaxed. Luckily, most of my overseas travel these days is for pleasure rather than business, so I try not to let delays dampen my attitude.
It is also easy to get frustrated with myself when I travel. I have wanted to shout at myself for not picking up a language quickly enough or because I’m not being the outgoing traveler I want to be. I’d love to be that person who is able to strike up a conversation with anyone and quickly have a whole group of strangers gathering around wanting to join in on the fun. But to be honest, I’m more likely to sit at a café by myself while I people watch and soak up my surroundings. That’s OK, though. I eventually realized I don’t travel the world to sulk or to be down on myself. I travel to experience new things and learn about the world around me. No matter how I go about doing that. So if things don’t go completely as planned, whether or not I have anything to do with it, I’ve gotten better at not letting it get to me. I’ve not yet mastered this skill, but that’s OK. It takes time – and I’ll just wait patiently until it happens.
