10 Lessons While Traveling
It’s hard to believe that one month ago from today, I was embarking on my journey to the other side of the world (literally), and here I am, already back in my Shelbyville office resuming life as usual. When I think about everything that has happened in the last thirty days, I sort of have to pinch myself. To describe my trip would take volumes, but here’s a summary of this past month:
- Visited 3 countries (Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos…almost made it to Myanmar, but was stopped on the border.)
- Total of 9 flights (41 hours on a plane)
- 8 business visits
- 3 days hiking in the jungle
- 1 elephant ride (and fall!)
- 3 waterfalls
- Visited 4 hill tribes
- Sampled some snake whiskey (nasty!)
- 4 boat rides, plus a bamboo rafting trip
- Visited 7 palaces and temples
- Tried dozens of exotic fruits
- Countless massages
- Climbed into a cage with 2 tigers
- Ate more noodles that most people should eat in a lifetime
Needless to say, I had plenty of time for self reflection since 6 of those days I spent traveling alone. Although I consider myself somewhat of a veteran traveler, I always learn more about the world and myself each time I venture abroad. Here are some of my “lessons learned” from my most recent trip:
- A smile is universal, and goes a long way.
- Hospitality to friends and strangers alike is the greatest gift one can give or receive.
- Sometimes it’s best not to know what you’re eating until after you swallow.
- Silence is reverence.
- Pure deet is a lifesaver!
- Even a video camera can’t capture the essence of an experience.
- Leave the poncho and galoshes at home…even those won’t keep you dry in a real Thai monsoon.
- Don’t over-pack, over-think, over-buy, over-analyze, or over-plan.
- Know how to say “thank you” in the language of whoever or wherever you’re visiting.
- Share your experiences with those who care.
These last two lessons were the greatest to me. Perhaps the greatest survival advice I can give any future world traveler, mother, father, school teacher, 2-year-old child, business person, Metro United Way employee, mechanic, or schoolroom lunch lady is know how to say “thank you,” and say it often. Whether it’s a handshake, head nod or full bow, the act of saying “thank you” is universal. There were many times I found myself confused, lost, or in need of some help, and although it’s safe to say I rarely understood the person who was trying to help me, I quickly learned that a smile, nod, and a “kaub kun kaub” was universally appreciated and helpful in nearly every situation.
Before I left, my dad pulled out an old photo album from the year he spent stationed in Vietnam back in 1969 and 70. I remember flipping through the old black and white photographs of his barracks, the Hotel Majestic, and other Saigon sites. I sort of pushed those images to the back of my mind as I left for my own adventure because I didn’t want those images to cloud my perception of what I was about to see and experience for myself. Perhaps my greatest memory of those 16 days was when I stepped off the bus in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, held my digital camera out in front of my chest, and slowly started walking in a circle until my camera framed what I thought would be the perfect picture. About a quarter-turn to my left, I stopped and stared up at the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral. The angle of the building in front of me and the trees in my frame looked familiar, as if I had seen this image before. I thought for a second and then remembered the old black and white picture of my dad’s. I actually lowered my camera at that moment, stared at my feet and thought to myself, “Wow, Dad stood in this exact spot 40 years ago, looked up at that same building framed the same shot with his camera, and probably thought the same thoughts I am right now.” Although my dad was thousands of miles away at that moment, and the memory we shared was 40 years apart, this was really the greatest experience I’ve ever shared with my father.