5 LESSONS LEARNED WHILE TRAVELLING IN 2015
Another New Years celebration is a reason of reflection – not at least when it comes to travels. And I have been fortunate enough to have had a 2015 full of travelling and living abroad. I believe that we learn more from travelling than anything else – depending on how we travel of course.
Here is a list of lessons I learned while travelling in 2015:
GOING LOCAL BRINGS GREAT MEMORIES
While many people are naturally drawn to big cities and sunny holiday spots with sandy beaches, it can be an amazing experience to go local for a change, by visiting alternative destinations or by travelling in a different way.
While living in Spain during the first half of 2015, I got the chance to explore different cities like León, Ourense and Cuenca. And while touring Switzerland by train I loved my time in lesser known Martigny, between visiting more famous Lake Geneva and Zermatt.
But most spectacular was my Workaway experience in the 
small village of Trefin in West Wales, where my girlfriend and I got to feel like locals for three months. A time that brought new friends and unforgettable memories – far from mass tourism.
Another great way to go local is by “surfing couches”, which we had great success with in Scotland. Couchsurfing gives you a great opportunity to get behind the surface of your destination and an to see the place from a local’s perspective.
…AND SO DOES GOING SOCIAL
I already knew it, but 2015 truly emphasised this to me; Travelling the social way makes your journeys so much more memorable. Skipping the classic hotels or the lonesome holiday apartment can make a big difference.
Try a hostel instead and your chances of making new friends will increase drastically. Don’t be afraid to spend a few nights in a hostel dorm if you’re open to meet new people, as most travellers you meet here are open-minded and friendly. Last year I met amazing people at hostels in Edinburgh and Wales.
I also had my first experiences with Couchsurfing in 2015, staying with strangers in five different cities In Scotland – all of them being a success.
TAKE CHANCES – BUT HAVE A PLAN B
If you want the true feeling of being a traveller ‘on the road’ – you have to take chances once in a while. Like you do when you arrange to stay with strangers, whether it’s through Couchsurfing or through websites like Workaway.
My girlfriend and I did our first volunteering together in 2015 – and it gave us some unforgettable memories and
friends that feel like family now. But we also had bad experiences with hosts and troubling days because of this.
This all taught us that it sure is worth taking chances and being open to new experiences – but that it’s also important to have the famous ‘plan b’ ready if things don’t turn out as hoped.
Make room in your budget for sudden changes – and have an idea of what to do if your host cancels or turns out not to be a good match.
DREAMS COME TRUE WITH HARD WORK
The last couple of years I have made quite a few travel related dreams come true – and for that I feel truly greatful. I got to live in a big city as I spent about a year in Madrid. I tried working at a hostel in both Scotland and Wales. And in the summer of 2015 I made a trip I had been dreaming of for years – a ride with the Glacier Express.
As I slowly made my way into travel writing four years ago, I had the feeling this could bring some great opportunities and unique experiences. But I also knew it would take a lot of hard work and sacrifices. It’s all about priorities in life. At the moment I don’t even have my own place – and I’ve never owned a car. But 2015 has given me life time experiences I wouldn’t change for anything – all while travelling.
There is still a long way to go to make any kind of living out of this – but 2015 proved to me that hard work does pay off and that dreams DO come true.
IT’S A PLEASURE TO UNPLUG
It’s a cliché – but we DO spend way too much time in front of the tv and with our phones. And though I know it’s almost impossible to live ‘a normal life’ without electronics these days – it sure is nice to unplug from time to time, especially when travelling.
So while touring the UK for five months in 2015 there was no tv and almost no phones – only the essential laptop for writing. And it was great!
It was wonderful walking along the Welsh coast for hours without stopping to check texts or checking-in on Facebook. And it was nice grabbing a good book from the little library in our hostel – instead of being stuffed with random tv shows.
So though online-time is natural when running a blog – cutting down tv and phones to a minimum will be a challenge for 2016.
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By Brian Schæfer Dreyer
www.travelooneyblog.com
travelooney@gmail.com
