17 Skills You Need To Travel The World

As a kid did you ever grow up reading about faraway places or seeing people take vacations in exotic locations? Did you imagine you would go to these places too? If you did – you’re probably a little like all of us who’ve been bitten by the adventure bug. It’s kinda like the spider that made Spider-Man – Spider-Man. Those dreams of traveling the globe shape your innermost thoughts.

There’s a whole list of things you’ll learn while you’re traveling the world, most notably surrounding the human experience. Learning compassion, empathy, and becoming open-minded to a shifting worldview.. have all inevitably accompanied any journey we’ve ever been on. But not of these would have been possible if we didn’t start learning the skills to travel early on?

Not only will these skills enable you to travel better – they’ll enable you to travel stress-free. As individuals, our type of travel may vary, but inevitably you’ll run into problems. This is where having developed some handy skills comes into play – traveling better and longer without becoming freaked out when you’re totally out of your element. You also don’t want to be in a position where you miss out on a life-changing adventure because you didn’t know how to make it happen or something small went wrong?

Here are the most important skills you need to learn to maximize your adventures to their fullest potential.

Get Comfortable With Different Modes of Transport

From ferries to Vespa’s – adventuring in different parts of the world means that you’ll most likely have to utilize modes of transportation that you’re not used to. In Italy, we rode trains, ferries, and a Vespa for the first time. Although not unlike a subway in New York- the train was a totally different experience. We’ve completely zoned out while riding a subway but you can’t do that while riding a train. There is so much to see and the Italian landscape rolled by giving us a more full picture of life in the Tuscan region.

This means more than just getting on a train. It means being able to plan a route and stick to a schedule so that you don’t miss your connecting train! As for Vespa’s – you just need to figure out how to be ok with helmet hair.

Another major thing you need to learn besides being ok trying something new: driving a manual transmission.

I’m sure you’ve heard somewhere along the line that in Europe they drive on the left side of the road. But you may not know – in many places in Europe – sometimes your only option is a manual transmission car. When considering sustainable travel practices, renting a car isn’t always the best option – but I can’t imagine getting somewhere and being completely dependent on only one mode of transportation. You need to be comfortable doing it all. After all – there are no trains to Saturnia’s Hidden Hot Springs!

Learn to Cook

Learning to cook simple meals will save you so much time and money in the long run. Not only can you save more money to extend your adventures, but by having an understanding of the cuisines that you like you’l’ enjoy your travels more. You may not 100% know what it takes to create the amazing lasagna of Ravello or the herbs seasoning the chinchilla in Ecuador, but you can have an appreciation for the passion and the artistry of the dishes.

The term ‘foodie’ hasn’t been around very long, but it’s taken off with vigor and it’s not going away any time soon. Farm to table, organic and traditional are words you want to hear and experiences you can’t miss. Make your travels better by expanding your pallet at home.

MacGyvering

MacGyvering isn’t really a word but it should be! The number of times we’ve had to fix a strap, deal with a broken shoe, or figured out how to fix our hair while backpacking. These don’t seem like a big deal but the best way to start MacGyvering is to carry a mini tool kit. I’m talking about a little sewing set, a tiny screwdriver, a flashlight, and some duct tape for starters.

I’ll be writing a full post on this soon!

The general idea behind learning to Macgyver any situation is to not inhibit further adventuring. If your flip flop breaks, your camera is doing a weird thing – fix it and voyage on friends.

Sleeping Anywhere

When we say sleeping anywhere – we really mean in any hotel or campsite, etc. We do not mean in a crowded train station while waiting for your train!!

Only had to say that because we were traveling with a friend and she fell asleep while ‘watching the luggage’. We could’ve been robbed blind but thankfully that didn’t happen? (Insert facepalm emoji here.) But anyways – being able to get to sleep anywhere requires practice and getting yourself on a schedule at home. This means knowing what helps you wind down and what keeps you awake!!

Playing Soccer

Hear me out on this one – have you ever seen the Secret Life of Walter Mitty? If you haven’t you’re majorly missing out, but you also may not know this reference. Totally ok just go with me: Walter finds his photographer friend in remote mountains in Nepal and they end up playing soccer with locals.

THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO ME!

Not the whole – finding my photographer friend in Nepal thing – but playing soccer with locals! I was in Ecuador on a study abroad trip where we delivered dental care to elementary schools? When we were done – some of the kids started to play soccer and I joined in. It only lasted for a few minutes but it was amazing to get to have that experience and connect with the kids that way!

Reading Maps + Using A Compass

You will not always have a phone with service. Read that again and sound it deep down into your heart.

It’s easy to want to skip this section and think that map reading doesn’t matter anymore. The world is rife with GPS systems and apps that can be used offline. But what happens when you haven’t been able to get to a place with electricity to charge your phone or your GPS malfunctions? The physical maps won’t fail you – if you know how to read them.

While driving through Tuscany on the back of a Vespa meant that we had no reliable cell service in much of the area and I (Shelbs) had to rely solely on me looking at maps! (I’m the navigator for our trips and I wear that badge proudly! That doesn’t mean there aren’t a few mishaps here and there but I’m not Christopher Columbus. Yet.)

Learning Tip: If you want to learn to read maps and be able to navigate without a GPS, there are a ton of resources but I’ve found videos to be the most helpful!

General First Aid

Far beyond just the general nuances of using a first aid kit, (although that’s important too!), there are a ton of skills to travel you could learn to help improve your travel experience.

Animal Safety – One of the first things my dad ever taught me when I was a kid to learn to play safely in the woods is how to watch for snakes. Where they live, how they react to noises, and quick movements if you come upon them hiking the trails- there is a proper way to handle them. Bears, monkeys, etc., could be animals you come upon during your travels. If you value your safety, doing a little research on the region you’re traveling to could save your life.

Frostbite – Ahhh frostbite. Most common on the extremities; fingers, toes, lips, ears, cheeks, etc – and many don’t recognize the first signs. Prickly cold skin and numbness are the first symptoms and many people don’t realize that! If you get to the stages where you have joint and muscle stiffness and you become ‘all thumbs’ – it’s time to warm up! For more signs and symptoms of frostbite, this guide from the MayoClinic is a great read!

Starting a Fire – In times of emergency – you need to know how to start a fire. Preferably not in a place where an entire forest can catch fire.. **cough cough California**.. but it’s an important skill for all travelers to know. Even if you’re only camping or hiking, you’re still traveling away from the relative safety of your home. Your survival may depend on your ability to get warmed up so that you may continue your journey back to safety or while awaiting a rescue mission.

Time Management

You’re going to have to have some serious time management skills to become a better traveler. A big part of having amazing experiences is getting there – which means catching a boat, train, or shuttle on time! I was listening to a podcast once talking about Namibia and how because they were colonized by the Germans, they are very strict about time.

Namibia is also home to the red plains of desserts that have frequented Instagram in the last few years. Apparently never more beautiful than at sunrise from a hot air balloon – but many people miss their tours. Why? Because they underestimate the willingness of the Namibian tour guides to leave them behind. Punctuality matters in Namibia.

As I’ve never been to Namibia, I can say from my experience that while it has always helped to be as on time as possible – any countries are not on time like the Namibians. We’ve waited for hours for a train in Italy, and 45 extra minutes for a plane to take off from Louisville. The moral of the story – get your act together so that you can make your connections.

General Awareness Habits

At some point as a traveler – you’ll become aware that you are the object of interest for the people of the region. Seeing white people in some lands is totally foreign and that’s something you need to just be comfortable with. When I traveled to Ecuador was my first experience being looked at as an outsider and an oddity.

I have green eyes. Not a strange occurrence for many Americans, but for the indigenous people, who sometimes spoke only Quichua, I was outlandish. A friend of mine on the same trip had bleached blonde hair and she was an oddball as well to the kids especially. They repeated wanted to touch her hair and it was absolutely fine. You’re curious about their culture so let them be curious about you and these experiences will become fond memories.

Aside from people being genuinely curious, you should become aware of your surroundings as a habit. I’ve never been pickpocketed out of the US because I was always incredibly vigilant. The one time I was pickpocketing – I was at a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans Louisiana. My phone and debit card were stolen and there was no way to get them back. Moral of the story: don’t assume a level of comfort anywhere when you’re traveling or in a crowd. While I like to believe the best in people everywhere – you should be prepared for something bad to happen.

You will wish you were prepared the first time you get your phone stolen, miss a flight, or wind up in the wrong part of a city.

Planning Ahead

I know a lot of people who live their life by the seat of their pants and go wherever the wind takes them. The one thing they all have in common though when they’re actually enjoying themselves? A general sense of preparedness and direction. I understand spontaneity in theory, but if you aren’t an organized person – it’s probably pretty difficult to take advantage of experiences like that!

Some general things to keep in mind for planning ahead.

-Insurance, (travel or auto-related)

-Organizing your closet (Makes it A LOT easier to pack)

-Organizing and Inspecting your travel gear.

All three of these things make it a lot easier to pack a bag and head out spontaneously for a weekend of kayaking and visiting breweries! Your goal should be to create a cohesive closet that you can pack from in 30 minutes!! This is one of the most important skills to have if you want to make the most of your travels.

Planning Tip: Making the most of long weekends requires quite a bit of pre-planning! All of the above suggestions are a part of my guide to Leveraging Long Weekends!

Changing A Flat Tire

You need to know how to do it. It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or petite – you can change a tire. There are plenty of videos online to teach you how to do it and it’s just important that you learn. the first time I had a flat tire I had to change I was 17. Thankfully I knew how to do it or I would’ve been stranded for a few hours! I have good car insurance but that doesn’t mean there is service available late at night in all areas!

Squatting + Using A Bidet

Ya. I said squatting and using a bidet in the same sentence. As gross as that probably sounds – many parts of the world not only use bidets but they shower less frequently. There are also parts of the world (and sometimes even in the US) when finding a relatively clean toilet just isn’t an option.

Maximizing your travels means that sometimes your situation isn’t ideal for a little bit- but the overall reward of your adventure is worth it. Many times I’ve had to go in the woods and just make do with what I’ve had available. Thinking to yourself – ‘you could just pack toilet paper or wipes?’?? That’s true for us more seasoned hikers, but these are skills we’ve learned over time. I’ve even read that a more sustainable option for women is to use a ‘pee-kerchief’. Whatever you decide to do be prepared – just commit to it as a habit so that you don’t have to turn back at mile 3 because you can’t poop in the woods.

As far as using a bidet goes – In Italy they use almost nothing but a bidet. Their sewers weren’t meant for wipes and other single-use items and that needs to be kept in mind. Learning to wash up will keep you clean and respect the plumbing of the historic places you’re probably visiting.

Using A Diva Cup

Sorry to the men reading this in advance! Just want to talk about potentially one of the best practices for women while traveling. The diva cup is a sustainable/eco-friendly option that will keep you from worrying about your period all day.

I know firsthand that they can basically save you! As a reusable plastic cup that fits comfortably inside- you never have to have other feminine products!! I wish I had just kept one in my backpack and it would have saved me from having to clean up before a beach day in Capri. {A terrible story but a GREAT day overall!} (Never traveling without one again!) Not to mention this is a more sustainable and eco-friendly option! – Shelbs

Travel With Only a Backpack

If you cannot go on a trip without 3 large pieces of luggage – you’re majorly missing out. The more we travel – the more I realize how little I’ve actually needed for all of these years that I brought my entire closet. I’ve also majorly adjusted the way I look at what I’m shopping for.

All of the items in my closet are designed to create a cohesive look and make for easy packing. Nothing you pack should only be able to be worn with something unless you’re going somewhere special. Dinner in Paris at a fancy restaurant, or a rooftop bar in Thailand, are definitely fancy occasions that I might pack more than is necessary for our typical backpacking!

Keep in mind also that unless you’re a fashion blogger, you don’t really need to be packing all of the latest and greatest outfits you own. On our Vegas trip, I wore the same three outfits 10 different ways and I needed so much less than a normal suitcase!!

Approaching Strangers

While not easy for most people, Approaching strangers can literally save your life. We’re not saying approach strangers in a dark alley- but there are some effective ways to approach someone and ask for directions.

1. Get their attention before you walk up to them so that you’re not surprising them.
2. Stop a short bit away and ask if they speak your language. If not and it’s a language you have no idea how to speak – they probably can’t help you anyways.
3. For us – we are native English speakers so we stop a little away, ask if they speak English, and then ask what we need to.

People are usually pretty friendly and willing to help if you just ask!

Like people who never thought they could travel- these skills have become invaluable to us as we’ve started navigating what it really means to travel. You may not be able to accomplish learning all of these at once but trying to implement one or two before every adventure!

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Until next time friends,

Thanks for sharing!