Skills We Have Gained From Travelling

    We travel because we love to see new things and create new and memorable experiences. Some of us like to sample new foods, get a nice tan, or simply seek adventure. But what if I told you that while doing all of that, you are also learning and gaining new skills. Travel is like an education abroad.

       I first have to admit that I was horrible with geography before I started travelling. I know, I know…and I am a teacher. I knew where many places were, but after travelling much of the world, I now truly comprehend direction and location. For people of all ages and for children, seeing the world beats reading about it in a textbook any day.

Language:

I would love to say Richard and I learned another language on our travels. We have not. We did get ambitious and take a beginners Spanish class before our first trip to Spain. We used some of it during our travels, but we both agreed we wanted to learn more. It hasn't happened yet. Before we visit any new country, we learn some basic phrases. We learn how to say hello, please, thank you, how much, good morning, etc. This helps us to first demonstrate to the locals that we are interested and value their language/culture. It also gives us a great jumping off point before we need to ask for assistance or suggestions.  I can guarantee that if it weren't for our travels, we would never have even had exposure to any of these basic language skills.

Cooking:

I mentioned in a previous post that I try to take cooking classes when I am visiting a new country. I love to cook and I embrace the opportunity to learn about new foods and how to prepare them. It is a great way to experience the culture, as often they take you to market, but also a great way to converse and learn from a local. I continue to cook these fishes when I get home, and they have not only enhanced my recipe repertoire, but they have made me more skilled with spice selection and flavour combinations.

Bargain Shopping:

Many countries we have visited have outdoor markets or boutique shops with one of a kind items. Because they are independently owned, you as the customer have the opportunity to request a better price. For example, when we were in Morocco there were leather bags for sale for what would work out to $200 American. We worked them down to $100 for an all leather travel tote. We have continued to work with shop owners to get the unique items we want a reasonable price. The more you do it, the better you get at stating the price you are willing to pay. We have walked away from some items we had really wanted, but most of the time we get great deals.

Public Transportation/ City Navigation:

Richard and I are from a small town with no subway system. We have been on one in Toronto and New York City, but I would not say we are experts at navigating cities via public transit. When we arrived in Paris, we had to learn the Subway system quickly, because riding in taxi’s for 3 weeks can get quite costly. So after a few days of riding the subway to dinner, shops, and sights we got quite comfortable with it. When we moved on to new cities, we noticed that our experience in Paris really helped us to understand and recognize the simplicity and convenience of subway travel.

London, England
Photo: @conciergecouple

Budgeting Where it Counts:

Sure when you land at the airport you can take a taxi to your hotel. So fast, easy, and convenient. But this is usually the biggest rip off and so many people do it! I get it, you have arrived at your destination and you are so excited and eager to get to your hotel that you are willing to just jump in that taxi. Well that is what they are banking on. Richard spends a lot of time reading forums and communicating with the hotel concierge to determine the fastest and most affordable transportation from the airport into town. He prints out what bus number or subway stop we need to get to and keeps it available in his carry on. Being aware, knowledgeable and prepared is key. We have ended up taking a taxi several times, but we do so by educating ourselves on the expected price and weighing the pros and cons of saving time.

We love hotels. Richard loves researching them, reading reviews on them, and surprising me by booking them in secret. We have learned where and when it makes sense to splurge on a hotel. If we are visiting a bustling and lively city we will choose a hotel or apartment with a moderate price. We realize we will be out most of the time, and our hours in hotel room per dollar will not be in our favour. We do splurge on hotels on island and beach destinations. Yes, we will be out all day in the sun and sand, but the evenings are spent in our room, hotel lobby or hotel lounge. These are the times are when having beautiful surroundings are important to us.

Photograph Selection:

We love taking photos. We often take anywhere from 1,000-1,500 per trip. We make photo-books, gallery walls, etc. using them. We used to take photos of just about everything. Now we realize that pictures of scenery and pictures of ourselves enjoying the world are what matter most to us. We have learned to be discerning photographers, only snapping what we deem important. For example: on the most part we do not photograph major tourist attractions (e.g. the Louvre), unless the lighting is unique or scene is particularly unique that day. Mind you there are exceptions: the Eiffel Tower. 

Social Skills:

Richard is very social. I on the other hand am mostly quiet. Because it is often just the two of us travelling, and because we like to go out in the evenings, we are often left with no other choice but to meet new people. We have made great friends and there are worse things to be forced into than meeting other travellers. For myself though, I had to get good at introducing myself and being open to all kinds of people. When we meet we share stories, experiences we have had locally, and any tips for travelling the area. We also share drinks and general conversation. I have had to sharpen my social skills, and because of that we have together met great people and had great experiences we would never have had just the two of us.

El Nido, Palawan, Philippines
Photo: @conciergecouple

Appreciate The Moment:

I am an easygoing person, who enjoys my downtime. Naps, spas, and reading are some of my favourite hobbies. However, when travelling Richard and I can get pretty eager to see a lot with little downtime. Over the past couple of years we have really learned to appreciate the moment and take it all in. We often drink our morning coffee siting on our balcony with our robes on, chatting about our plans for the day and/or some of our favourite moments from the day before. This was a challenge for us at first, because there is so much we want to do when visiting a new place. We have learned to strike a good balance between slowing down and stopping to take in a moment and getting to our next sight or experience before the crowds.

Mykonos, Greece
Photo: @conciergecouple

These are just some of the many lessons and skills we have picked up over our travelling years. This summer we will likely continue to develop our driving on rugged terrain skills when we travel the road to Hana. What skills have you gained through your travels?

Ways to Immerse Yourself Into New Cultures

When you travel to a new country there are so many recommended attractions, sites, and must-see opportunities. Many travellers want to go beyond that and "feel" the culture of a new place. They want to see how others live, work, and play. They want to eat at restaurants off the beaten path and go to markets and shops that are not only flooded with tourists. These tourists want to immerse themselves into a new culture experience.

Here are some tips/ideas on how you can get a peek into other cultures while travelling:

1.  You can begin your research before your trip. Read books, read blogs, and watch YouTube videos, such as vlogs like Aspyn & Parker create about the location you plan to visit. You may want to learn basic greetings and ways to express your gratitude. Having an understanding of the religions, languages, and financial environment can build sensitivity to the culture. 
2. Hire a local driver- instead of joining the large tourists companies who travel around with a crowd, look on-line for a local driver to show you around. Using recommendations on TripAdvisor may work, but dig deeper into the TripAdvisor forums for local expert recommendations. Richard and I did this in Bali, and our driver not only showed us great food stops and nature sights along the way to our destination, but chatted with us about her schooling and daily family life during the drive. 
3. Stay in small boutique hotels or B&B's- the owners of these types of accommodations are often on site and great sources of information. They know of any special events of festivals taking place, where to eat, their favourite beach, etc. While staying at SomeWhere Else Boutique in the Philippines, Richard and I were told to not only see the large waterfall that was so popular, but another one that was much smaller but much more picturesque.  
4. Drive yourself- when possible, you may want to consider driving yourself around. Now this is not recommended in busy cities (e.g. Rome, New York, etc.), but can be quite enjoyable on islands or smaller locales. We have scootered through islands of South-east Asia, 4-wheeled the islands of Greece, and drove a rental car around Croatia. Yes, there can be some confusion and stresses with these methods of transportation, but you get to familiarize yourself with the streets, directions, and most importantly you can stop at your leisure seeing things you would not have seen otherwise. You will surely drive by homes and waving locals as an added bonus.
5. Take a cooking class- I have taken a cooking class in many of the cities we have visited, and its a great way to not only try local foods but often locals are teaching the classes. Some classes start off with a market visit too, which can be an additional way to see how the locals shop and barter for their food. In Morocco we went to a market that was strictly for spices. Not only did we get to see a variety of unique spices, but we were able to purchase spices such as saffron at a fairly decent price to bring home                                    .                                   



Photo: @conciergecouple

6. Go for a run- Richard and I try to stay physically active while on vacation. Going for a run is not only a good way to work up an appetite for a big breakfast, but it also gives you a chance to actually get out and navigate the areas around your hotel or accommodations. We sometimes even bring a small amount of money with us to stop at a fruit stand or buy a souvenir we are interested in.                                                                        . 
7. Go to a sporting event- Richard is a sports fanatic, so we try to see some sporting activity when we are away. He would have to say the highlight so far was a soccer game: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid. We gathered on the subways with the locals, we purchased and wore team memorabilia with the locals, we drank at the pubs with the locals, as we experienced the game. After there was cheering, yelling, partying in the streets and more. It really gave us a look into the importance of not only sports but football to the locals.

Camp Nou, Barcelona
Photo: @conciergecouple

When travelling as a tourist you will have many thrilling experiences. It is the experiences where we are closest to the people and embracing their culture and lifestyle that has brought us the best memories. In education (as teachers) we promote and encourage real "hands-on" learning, and this is it at its best.