Scanning through my old hard drive brings back a lot of travel memories. It was 2015 when my husband and I started traveling and in 2017, we went to Surigao together with my high school friend who came from the United States together with her boyfriend and brother as well as my brother and sister in law. We were a group of seven.
This blog isn't just a travel memoir recollection but I am going to share with you the lessons I have learned during that specific travel because we went through so many obstacles and challenges.
1. Travel is not all about happy trips.
While we always look forward to happy memories whenever we travel, there are things that we can't control. We may be planning things, we go check the upcoming weather and make necessary itineraries that would suit up with our goals for such a journey but when nature gets in the way, we have no option but to be agile and adjust.
We can't also control other people's opinions and reactions. There's a reason why traveling as a group is not my thing. While, it is true that the more the merrier, traveling in a group requires a lot of work to make it merry.
Even if you go with someone close to you, there are always opinions that go out of their minds and mouths that might offend you as the one who created the itinerary and all.
So, know that it is not all about happy things when we travel, we have to accept the fact that we can't control certain things and expect these things will happen then adjust accordingly.
2. Travel Requires Resourcefulness.
When we went to Surigao, a typhoon hit the province. Our flight back to Cebu was supposed to be at Tandag Airport but because of the storm, our trip was canceled. My husband and I were fine spending a day or two in Tandag but our companions were not on the same page so we have to find means and be resourceful in finding the best solution.
While they were complaining about how inefficient the customer service of our airline of choice, I went on looking for a solution myself, thank God for His divine wisdom and for showing me the right actions, else, we will be left in Tandag for another week as we found out the airport only flies once a week to Cebu!
Part of what I thought was instead of depending on the customer service in Tandag, I called up the hotline, request for our tickets to be transferred to the next flight in Butuan which is a bigger airport. While the customer service from Tandag said we have no choice but to wait for the next flight, the person on the phone told me of my options, and rebooking and rerouting to another airport were possible, all of those for free.
If I had only relied on that customer service in the airport, we might have been stuck in Tandag.
3. Don't Always Depend on Others.
When traveling, it can't be avoided that certain problems arise. It is expected for everyone to help especially when in a group. Being a part of a group allows you to be part of the solution.
Do not allow yourself to become a burden, think of a solution, share your thoughts, and do not always depend on others.
I found several groups of friends ended up not talking to each other after a certain tour because they had arguments on their last voyage together. Do remember that your relationship is far more important than that specific issue.
4. The Internet is a Friend.
It is true that the internet made traveling easier today and I assure you that with the internet, you can do multitudes of ways to enjoy your journey. Some people had even ventured traveling solo with the use of the world wide web.
As someone who has not traveled alone yet in my life, I prefer traveling with my husband, always as it gives me a feeling of security and peace because we won't know what's on the road when we go on solo travel but then, I am saying that with the use of the internet, one can have a successful trip.
There are so many blogs, vlogs, reviews, online pictures, and videos that one can curate before you specifically tag this area as part of your itinerary.
Note that each travel we do with my husband, we always do DIY tours. It is better this way because we have control over our time and we can manage and adjust accordingly. We have the option to stay longer in an interesting place or move forward to the next destination if the area doesn't require much time anymore.
These itineraries we do, we all depend on the things that we found on the internet. Thus, when traveling, make sure to have your own internet devices, pocket wifi, or your phone internet.
Conclusion
When everything goes back to normal, we will resume traveling and I am quite certain that this list will stay the same, we have to acknowledge that we can't control everything, that we have to be resourceful while on the road, not always depend on others but be part of the solution, make use of yourself and make sure to have a means of accessing the web.
What other trip tips and lessons have you learned during your travels? Have you faced any issues before when you traveled with your loved one or your friends? I'd love to know them in the comments!
xoxo,
mommy jean of momentswithmatti
Love harder than any pain you've ever felt.
Napaisip ako if meron bang problem na nangyari sa travel. Pero I agree with travelling with a lot of family and friends. May nabasahan pa nga ako na you will also know the true personality of a person if you have travelled with them lalo if joiner kayo sa tours. Kasi di ba kailangan doon on time kasi may iba kayong kasama. Pero ako talaga napipilitan ako kumilos ng mabilis lalo kapag yung tita ko ang kasama ko whether travel or pasyal lang dito sa Metro Manila. Kasi di ba fast paced life sa America? Eh ako napakabagal ko kumilos. Hahaha. Tapos yung susuotin ko nakadepende pa sa mood ko for the day. Kaya lagi ako sinasabihan a night before pa lang kapag may lakad kami para ibig sabihin bilisan ko kumilos 😅