How to make the most of your time abroad. A backpackers guide
Your travel experience is as unique as you are, and no two travellers will have the same stories to tell when they come home again. When you decide to put your normal life on hold and travel the world, you want to have the most enriching and authentic experience as possible. You also want to make the most of your time abroad. It sounds easy enough, but the pressure of having a good time and filling every single moment with once in a lifetime opportunities can often spoil an entire adventure.
So, with this in mind, I’ve gathered some simple ways you can make the most of your time abroad, without putting too much pressure on yourself! Read on to find out more.
Capture every moment
Of course, taking photographs is what travelling is all about, so images of beautiful sunsets and glorious beaches is a given. However, if you want to make the most out of your travelling experience, then why not look for other photo opportunities? Investing in good photography equipment will help you here – click here for medium format cameras – and all you have to do then is look for photographic opportunities in the most unlikely of places. Take candid pictures of locals in Costa Rica, street animals in Delhi, your feet in the sand in Portugal, your hand curled around a coffee cup in Milan…the more photographs you take the more you’ll have to remember your travels. The less staged and painstakingly positioned photos you take, the more authentic your collection will be.
Say “yes”!
Saying yes to everything and anything – as long as it’s legal and you’re not likely to hurt yourself – is an attitude that is ideal for first-time backpackers. Whether a fellow traveller has invited you along to their sky diving experience, or you’re being encouraged to try something wholly exotic at the local food market, saying yes and facing your fears will give you a whole new outlook and provide you with so many new opportunities and memories!
Don’t be afraid of slower days
As mentioned above, the pressure to fill every second with thrilling moments is incredibly daunting. But, as a traveller, you should be happily embracing the slower days of your journey. When you’re a little tired, or you just want to relax. Head to a local café and read a book, feel like a local as you wander through the market, head to a museum, or just sit and chat with your fellow travellers at your hostel. Every experience is a genuine one and you should embrace it.
Make friends
Maybe you’re not used to reaching out to make friends back home, but now you’re travelling why not make the first move? If you’re travelling solo you may be worried about feeling lonely, however, you’ll find that you’ll meet plenty of likeminded people whilst travelling and you can share as much or as little of your adventure with them as you like. Don’t be afraid to reach out, remember, if you meet someone you don’t really like, you’ll probably never see them again!
