Comments on: What Do You Wish You’d Known Before You Traveled for the First Time?

By: Kirsten

Kirsten — Thu, 20 May 2010 01:33:35 +0000

The first time I traveled outside of Canada and the States I was 18 and took a 3-month solo backpacking trip through Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. That trip turned me from someone who was so shy and unsure of herself into a considerably more outgoing and confident person! I feel like I handled things as well as I could have in the situations I was in and I learned A LOT, but I guess I would tell myself

a) The sun sets much, much faster and earlier in the cloudforest so if you’re catching a bus by yourself to some tiny cloudforest town, leave early in the day to get there. Also, South Americans will do almost anything to give you an answer, even if they don’t know the answer. This usually means they’ll tell you “yes” when they should be saying “I have no idea” and if you’re in doubt, always ask another person, or even better- two!

b) Learn more Spanish phrases for “leave me alone” and “fuck off” for the 40-year-old man who stalked me all over downtown Lima and wouldn’t go away and then tried to push me into a wall and kiss me/feel me up, and for the 20-year-old surfer guy who thought that “no” meant “yes, but only if you hold me down.” Both situations I escaped from unharmed (the guys a little less unharmed) but they were scary and a few extra-angry Spanish phrases may have helped them understand how serious I was!

and c) Utilize couchsurfing more and the LonelyPlanet guide less!

By: Simon Fairbairn

Simon Fairbairn — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:03:58 +0000

That I wouldn’t need half the stuff that I thought I couldn’t live without when I was packing. That I would only ever regret the things I said no to.

Also, I definitely 100% support number 1. Delete the word ‘should’ from your travel vocabulary!

But, it’s all good. Like you say, it’s better just to get out there and make the mistakes…

By: Molly McCahan

Molly McCahan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:44:27 +0000

Hi Sara,

Thanks for the great piece. #1 is definitely something with which I still struggle.

To answer your question, for me it’s that eating street food and sharing bathrooms won’t kill me. If anything, they’ll only make me stronger.

Happy travels!

By: starr

starr — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:19:09 +0000

I guess I don’t understand what’s wrong with calling people who are near where you are locals. The town I live in in Vermont has locals. They wouldn’t mind being called that, I’m sure. It’s not derogatory or stereotyping, it just means they live around here.

By: Turner

Turner — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:36:51 +0000

I’m still trying to convince travelers in NZ of #1, but that’s the way of the world. I guess your third point would be the one I would emphasize most.

By: Emma

Emma — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:51:18 +0000

There wouldn’t be much I’d change
I always knew I could, and have never been a great overplanner, (many decisions having been made after a few too many!!) so these were never a problem (well maybe in the opposite extreme!) I do wish I’d been more true to myself from the beginning though. Great post…. definite food for thought!!

By: Candice

Candice — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:49:07 +0000

Love this, Sara. I wish I had known #1…my first trip overseas, I HAD to see all the biggest attractions. The guide books told me so.

By: Richard

Richard — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:33:30 +0000

Ziplock bags!

And to understand something of what it means to just relax and go with things as they present themselves, rather than (on my first trip) overthinking a schedule I wanted to keep.

By: joshua johnson

joshua johnson — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:52:43 +0000

I wish i had known to break up with my girlfriend if I was going to bum around Italy for 3 months…take note!

By: alexblackwelder

alexblackwelder — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:47:30 +0000

I wish I hadn’t been so naive about some people and their intentions. But I guess its nice to learn the hard way so I will never forget. :-O