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Things I've Learned

I've learned...

...that the longer you travel, the more you learn.
...that It's easy to lose touch with the outside world. I don't watch TV or read newspapers while I travel (mostly because they are, like, you know, in foreign languages). The only news I get is from the headlines I read online while checking my e-mail, but those are few and far between. [Update: Some things are so major that they even penetrate my little bubble of isolation — namely: the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001. I was in Sweden at the time.]
...to plan more in advance. At first I would wait until I wanted to go on to the next place and, at times, found that planes/trains/ferries were booked, forcing me to wait a day or two (or three) longer than I wanted to.
...not to plan too far in advance. Whenever I've made plans more than a couple of weeks ahead, and decided to change them later, I found it difficult (and sometimes costly) to do so.
...that not everyone who seems friendly and helpful is doing so only because they want to sell you something (a taxi ride, a hotel... whatever). Some people are simply being friendly and helpful — but it's difficult, at first, to know the difference.
...to buy things I want or need when I first see them. It is usually difficult to "just come back later" — sometimes I'm already in another city.
...that bananas don't travel well in a backpack.
...to keep tickets for trains, buses, ferries, etc. for the duration of the trip. Just because someone has already checked my ticket, doesn't mean it won't be checked a second (or even third) time.
...that if a restaurant has no patrons, and the place next door is packed, there must be a reason — and it doesn't matter if the restaurant in question has been in business for 150 years. [See Worst Meal of 2001 on the Best and Worst page.]
...that you shouldn't let your foot tickle the camel's ribs while riding — it's amazing how high they can kick with their hind feet. Ouch!
...to always, always, ALWAYS check the room before accepting, no matter how nice the lobby looks.
...how to ride a Metro train while standing without holding on. There's definitely a knack to it — like a sailor getting his "sea-legs".
...that, after a while, you just have to get used to being stared at — especially in Asian countries. [Update: I thought I got stared at a lot in Asian countries because it was so obvious that I was a foreigner, but I got stared at just as much, if not more, in Europe. And in Eastern Europe, they stared at my sandals (Chacos brand) — or perhaps it was my feet... it was hard to tell.]
...whenever possible, to check three different lodgings before deciding. It's amazing how often the price goes down as you are about to walk out the door.
...that going downhill uses a decidedly different set of muscles than going uphill. Actually, I already knew this, but my six-hour, mostly downhill trek through Samaria Gorge was a rather painful reminder.
...that just because a place has a sign saying "Visitor Information", it doesn't mean it is the official visitor information center. Quite often, it's simply a travel agency wanting to separate you from your money in any way possible.
...that I can see tourist sites (ancient ruins, museums, palaces, forts, etc.) in about one-fourth the time the guidebook says I should allow.
...that distance estimates, whether from the guidebook or given verbally, are usually understated by as much as half.
...that English is as difficult to teach as it is to learn.
...whenever possible, to avoid visiting tourist sights on weekends.
...that every few weeks, I need to take a vacation from my vacation.
...that, with a camper, there are many more lessons to be learned.
...that it's much easier to get lost when you're driving yourself than when you're riding on a train or bus — and much easier to get a speeding ticket as well. :{
...that there's a lot more work that goes along with traveling in a camper, but the added flexibility of being able to go where I want, when I want, the ability to cook my own meals, not to mention the money saved, is more than worth the trouble.
...that five minutes in a coin-operated shower seems much shorter than five minutes waiting for a bus.
...that an unexpected, cold shower after a nice, comfy, hot one can be quite a shock.
...to ask... and ask again.
...then find someone else and ask them... twice!
...how to put on long pants while standing in a shower stall, with water covering the floor, and not get the pants wet — this is not easily done.
...that if you have that nagging feeling that you've forgotten something as your leaving a restaurant, internet cafe, shower room, etc., chances are you have.
...that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
...that you can get by surprisingly well in a country knowing only "Hello", "Goodbye", and "Thank you" in the local language. But the ever-useful "I love you" comes in handy from time-to-time as well.
...that if a train looks too nice to be the Metro, it probably isn't the Metro.
...that traveling the world, seeing amazing places and meeting interesting people from many different cultures, costs much less than living at my home in Austin, Texas. I traveled for the first three years and spent the same amount as I would have living in Austin for one year. And, so far, that has been the most expensive part of my travels.
...that if the local water supply burns your eyes when you wash your face, it's a good bet it's not safe to drink.
...how to deal with "traveler's disease". Many travelers I've met try to avoid it completely (which is next to impossible). They order drinks without ice, use bottled water when they brush their teeth, that sort of thing. My approach is to meet it head-on. If I know I'm going to be in a country for more than a few days, I simply live the same way I would at home — I have drinks with ice, use tap-water when I brush my teeth, etc. That way I get my body used to the nasty critters in the local water as soon as possible.
...to never pass up a chance to recharge my batteries — iPhone, laptop, shavers, etc.
...not to ask for tea "with milk". In many places, that results in being served with a cup of hot milk with a tea-bag in it. Bleh!

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