Just like anything, having the correct mindset or mentality for when you travel is super important. We make sure that all our other preparations are in order, luggage, itinerary, and accommodation. So why not also put in the necessary mental preparation as well? Your travel mindset can take on many different forms. Whether you learn about the culture in advance, prepare for the best as well as the worst, or you’re just open to whatever your vacation throws at you. A ready mindset will ultimately contribute to you having a better holiday.
Here are 10 Helpful Mindsets to prepare you for what you may encounter on the road and to ultimately make everything more enjoyable.
Every country or culture is unique
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Comparisons can be useful but I often find them unhelpful when people use them to group large areas of people across borders together. I’m of the mindset that it’s way more interesting to learn why one particular country or group of people are different from all their neighbours.
The more you travel the more you see the tapestry of human civilization start to meld in places. Words are shared across languages, building start to look similar, and everyone seems to serve the same sort of thing. It is so interesting to see where the similarities occur and imagine the time so long ago when people initially began sharing their diverse cultures. Be careful, however, about painting everything with the same brush stroke. Even similar cultures have nuances that reflect how or why their people view them as separate and individual. While it might not seem very important to us, many people try and keep that individuality alive in a world of gradually colliding and merging cultures.
If you would like to see how the culture has blended centuries of cultures together in terms of their gifts and souvenirs, follow this article here to read about authentic and unique Turkish gifts.
If you were meant to lose something…
Many people associate loss with bad experiences; the loss of a passport, luggage, or even missing a layover flight. I’m not trying to convince you that these are secretly blessings in disguise or anything. These things can leave a bad taste in your mouth and really ruin your dream holiday. You might want to try and minimize the risk of all kinds of loss. So you should. Be prepared for everything.
Yes, make sure that your itinerary is as accident and misery proof as possible. However if it despite all your efforts something still goes wrong, there isn’t much you can do about it. Even though you’ve prepared so hard for this trip, you may still run into some hiccups along the way; it’s almost inevitable. If you view loss as something that will inevitably happen, it can be quite a freeing mindset. Prepare as much as you can. After that, be as open-minded as you can to whatever comes your way.
For example, some people say it’s best to carry your money on your person. While others say it’s better to carry money in your luggage. However, if you protect yourself from pickpockets by leaving all your money in your luggage, your suitcase is now unprotected. And vice-versa. On one of our travels, our locks were cut at the airport, and whatever money was in our suitcases was taken. Thankfully most of our travel money was kept on our person. Unfortunately, the money that was taken, was meant to be taken. Despite us hiding it and even locking up our suitcases. We had to accept the inevitability of things, but we’re also so lucky it’s only ever happened once in our lives.
If you need some help with what to do once you’ve experienced loss or theft, check out this video outlining a list of priorities you should know.
You will probably lose some money somewhere
Whether it be in a scam; paying too much for a taxi (you’ll never really get the local fare unless you have a local with you), buying overpriced souvenirs, or even running into fake authorities. Unfortunately, while it’s not ideal, some times the best situation is to part with a little cash.
You will not be understood everywhere, all the time
People have looked me dead in the eye, reassuring me they understand, only to do exactly what I asked them not to do. Whether it is a language barrier, different cultural contexts, or even just the fact that most of us have our faces covered these days, there will be times that you will not be understood here. If you accept this mindset, it will help with the miscommunications that will inevitably arise. Don’t sweat it and keep on keeping on.
We can’t really help whether or not someone will understand us. But we can do our very best to be understood by them. Here is an article about having the correct mindset when speaking to someone who doesn’t speak our native language. Check it out here!
Travel can sometimes mean compromise
Compromise is a big all-encompassing term that means a lot of things and can have a lot of examples to boot. You might have to compromise with your family; maybe you wanted to visit 5 destinations in the city, but someone needed a drink break or rolled an ankle. If you’re really keen on World War 2 history, but the rest of your family are into outdoor adventures, both of you will need to try and design an itinerary that considers both interests and wants. This might mean neither of you get to do 100% of everything you wanted to do; but it means you will have experienced at least part of what you wanted together.
Furthermore, compromise might mean putting up with something, even though you don’t like it. Izmir is a wonderful place in Turkey, and I still recommend you go. However, I’ve noticed some hotels struggle under the pressure of the Izmir tourist season. In our last trip there we couldn’t get an ideal room, with a double bed. We made a complaint but unfortunately for us that was THE only room. When check out came the following day I made a request to see if I could have priority for the next available room with a double bed and we got it.
If you would like to find some itinerary items that might make everyone happy, check out my article here for some trip ideas!
People do things differently to you
It’s my opinion that when you’re in a foreign country, you should do your best to oblige by that country’s social norms. If I was cynical, I would say that’s my inner people-pleaser coming out, or that I don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb and have people watch me. However, I personally think it’ll help you enjoy your stay if you are observing and acknowledging the differences around you; rather than complaining as to why no one does anything the way you do. It’s sort of like go with the flow, or the old adage ‘when in Rome’. If everyone walks on the right-hand side of the street, don’t get mad when you’re on the left and people are bumping into you.
There are many ways to value things
This is a big topic that could be its own blog post. How much money did you bring on this trip and how much are you willing to part with? If you’re in a country with a higher exchange rate than your own; let’s say Swiss franc to nearly everyone else’s, you start to view everything (even the small luxury of a coffee) with suspicion.
Ultimately, how you want to spend your money is up to you. However, here are some frameworks you might want from:
- Is a cup of coffee the same amount of dollars in your country, vs francs? (Aka 4 dollars vs 4 francs),
- If you have a cup of coffee on this street with iconic buildings and features everywhere. And this will become a standout memory for this trip, isn’t that worth paying the extra money for?
- If you really like coffee, but know you won’t spend money on magnets or t-shirts with ‘Paris’ or ‘Rome’ on it, maybe you can afford to splurge on small pleasures like this?
- Are you paying extra for a Dunkin Donuts/McDonalds Coffee, or is this made by someone who lives coffee 24/7 in a cafe that makes you never want to leave?
As you can see from the above frameworks, whether or not you were going to buy an overpriced coffee depends on your mindset and how you value a variety of different things; money itself, creating memories, allowing yourself to enjoy the small things, and even the price of coffee comparative to what else you’ve bought.
Over-priced goods are often a dead giveaway of a tourist trap. For this reason, some travelers tend to ignore the “popular” or “mainstream” destinations. In this article here, I want to tell you… you don’t have to! Even the most popular locations will provide you with treasurable memories.
This may be your only time coming here
You want to experience your holiday on as many senses and wavelengths as possible… Don’t waste that opportunity by having your brain somewhere else while your body is on holiday.
Sometimes I will look down a small street and something will catch my eye, or I’ll see an intriguing shop but think those around me won’t really want to come in with me.
It’s at times like these you need to remember, you may not be coming back to this place again. And even if you do, maybe that thing you saw might be gone, or the shop might’ve been sold off. I’m making more of a point now, to politely tell my travel buddies I’m interested in stopping somewhere. We see if there’s something they can do as well; maybe they found another place that is equally interesting to them yet completely dull to you. If it all works out I will at the very least try and pop my head into this new place.
I feel like for myself, and those who read my blogs, travel is still a luxury we need to acknowledge is not available to everyone else. You can read my post here, to see how the COVID situation further puts barriers up for certain travellers. For me, I don’t really know if I’ll have the opportunity to visit the same places 2 or more times during my lifetime. So with that mindset, allow yourself to fulfil your curiosity when you’re travelling, because who knows if you’ll walk down that way again.
Memories can be tangible and intangible
Are you the kind of person who takes pictures everywhere they go? Did the selfie revolutionise the way you travelled and take photos? Or do you choose not to take photos, rather living in the moment? Do you buy trinkets, or is the journey itself a souvenir?
We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.
Katie Thurmes, Artifact Uprising
Memories are different for each individual person. Our personality and who we are shape how we create memories just as much as the passage of time that washes over them. For some people photographic proof that you can show your family and friends is the ultimate memory of a place. Others want to bring back a piece of the country with them. Then there are those whose memories are less tangible. The way the thick, humid air first hits you in Southeast Asia, or the hustle and bustle of being one of the many million souls in a megacity.
Travel is a journey of discovery. Along this journey you will learn about yourself; what’s most important to you and how you wish to remember the many places of the world. This confidence in yourself is such a strong mindset to have. You must also realise, however, that what makes a good memory for you will be different to others. If a friend wants to walk along every street in the old town, let them make their memories. You’ll be too busy collecting your own.
Have a present mindset, be there with yourself on holiday
Lastly, it’s easy after planning this trip for weeks (months even) and travelling long hours that when you finally reach your destination all you want to do is shut your mind off. After all, you cannot be operating at 100% concentration all the time. However let me encourage you, try to be as present and mindful as you can while on your journies.
Do whatever you need to, to refill that well deep in yourself, to bring back that presence and mindfulness. Whether it be enjoying a warm bath, sleeping the first day, reading a book, or taking some time away from your travel buddies. One benefit of having a refreshed mind is that you are less susceptible to tourists scams. You are more likely to notice your change, gifts, or helpful stranger are a little off if you’ve had time to focus and be mindful.
More importantly than this is that you want to enjoy your trip as much as possible. You want to experience your holiday on as many senses and wavelengths as possible. As mentioned previously in another mindset, you may only set foot in this country once in your life. Don’t waste that opportunity by having your brain somewhere else while your body is on holiday.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to read what travel is like in the year 2021, continue reading and check out my post here!
