Lessons I’ve Learned from Traveling (for 3 Years Straight)
The past three years have been a whirlwind of adventure, laughter, sleepless nights, early mornings, incredible people, breathtaking places, joyous tears, delectable food, and profound self-discovery.
Growing up, I never envisioned the life I’m living now. Sure, little Salem had her dreams—being a famous singer (despite being too shy to sing in front of my parents) or a fashion designer—but “world traveler” wasn’t on that list. Somehow, I grew into it, or maybe it became an addiction after that first plane ride.
Whatever the reason, this is my life now, and it has taught me more than my 17 years of schooling ever did.
On the surface, I’ve learned about diverse cultures, traditions, unique holidays, and everyday tasks—everything that shapes daily life in different parts of the world. But the deeper lessons are what have truly transformed me.
So, here’s what I’ve learned while traveling:
It is vital that you STOP caring about what others think about the life you’re living.
You’ve heard it before, but it’s worth repeating: as long as you’re content with your life, nothing else matters. Seriously. Traveling lets you be your true self. No one knows your past or your personal history, and this is incredibly liberating. Trust me, everyone is too busy with their own lives to worry about yours.
2. It’s okay to stop
Let me tell you a quick story, when I was 17 I was in a horrible accident and almost lost my life.
Fortunately, I didn’t, but what came with that was this overwhelming feeling of “I have to do something great with my life because I was given a “second chance.” Feeling this way was a great motivational tool, but it also created this manufactured idea that I always had to do the “next best thing”. So, when I started traveling, it was hard for me to take a breath. I felt like I constantly had to keep pushing myself to go to the next place because I had to “prove” that I wasn’t wasting my “second chance”.
Well, news flash, to you, reader, and to past Salem; you don’t have to prove anything to anyone.
If you set off on a backpacking journey and end up wanting to come home early, do it. If you start a job and realize you really dislike it after a few months, quit.
I think we tend to label people who quit something as failures instead of seeing them as courageous listeners who are in tune with what their intuition is telling them to do.
Of course, this isn’t always the case, but if you think that someone is going to be disappointed in you for quitting something, then it’s time to flip the narrative. Sometimes stopping takes more courage than continuing.
3. When you’re genuinely having fun, the journey becomes that much easier.
Something I keep rediscovering about myself is the fact that I get nothing done when I’m not doing it out of a place of pure fun and enjoyment.
A second quick story, I was trying to grow my social media channels for a while, but I quickly figured out that I don’t love filming myself 24/7 and following pointless trends.
However, what I do enjoy doing, is sharing what I find meaningful and what could be valuable to others. When I was just focused on growing a number bedside my name, everything lost meaning.
Once I finally saw that when I do things from a place of curiosity, love, joy, and excitement; everything would ALWAYS turn out better. Maybe it’s not following a trend and maybe I won’t get as many views, but at least I am sharing a genuine extension of myself. Not a fake facade.
This example not only applies to social media but to everything in life. When I am enjoying myself while traveling, everything else falls right into place. When you vibe high, you’re able to feel that same energy everywhere.
4. You can appreciate people and experiences, but you cannot become attached.
Oh boy, is this a big one. To be honest, when it comes to traveling, this is like a double-edged sword. The truth is; sometimes it's hard to get close to people when those people (or yourself) will eventually leave. This fact used to get me down a couple of years ago. I would meet the most amazing humans and then be forced to say ‘goodbye’ a few short days later.
But here’s the truth: the people who are supposed to stay in your life will always be there. Even if they are on the other side of the world, they will only be a phone call away. They will say “we will see each other again” and mean it. These people will be there without you having to hold them in an imaginary chokehold. These people will allow you to loosen your grip.
And for the people who don’t, that’s okay too. Not everyone in your life is supposed to stay forever. Even if it might seem like it in the beginning, some people are only meant to teach you something, give you a good laugh, and then leave. We can appreciate these experiences just as much as any other.
I’ve always been a firm believer that the people, experiences, and opportunities that come into your life are never by happenstance, even if they only stay for a short time, it’s always for a reason-and that brings me a lot of peace.
5. Be fully immersed in the experience you’re currently in because even if you have the chance to come back, it will not be the same.
I can’t count the number of times when I’ve heard myself or other travelers say “I wish I would have stayed in ____” or “ I want to leave here and go back to _____”. Here’s the thing: it is absolutely great to find a place you enjoy so much that you want to go back ASAP, but I can promise you, that place will not be the same as it was the first time.
The people, experiences, memories, laughs, cries, parties, hugs, surf sessions, hikes, and happy hours will change. The only consistent thing in life is just that; change.
Instead of this being a sad thing, you’ll eventually start to look at everything in your life as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Yes, you can go back to the same hostel in Bali that you visited two years ago, but if you expect your experience to be the exact same this time, you’re setting yourself up to be disappointed.
So, let this be the perfect opportunity to be really present with the current situation you’re in. Love the people you’re with, truly and deeply. Get to know them, show genuine curiosity in their lives and do the same with your experiences. But once they end, because they eventually will, be grateful that you got to live out that chapter of your life because you’ll never get to reread that same one.
6. People Love You
When you travel you have two choices. Either you keep your heart open or you close it. And to be honest, it’s really easy to do the latter. When you’re in a constant loop of meeting people and then leaving them, it can be a hard thing to do. Noting is consistent; there is no stability. It’s easy to stop caring about others because you can keep telling yourself “I’ll probably never see them again.”
But when you decide to leave your heart open, even if it hurts, the most amazing things happen. You realize that all the love you give to others pours back into you 10x more. You understand that you are lovable outside of the comfort of your own home. You notice more qualities about yourself that are admirable and deserve love.
You also start to understand that the people who don’t like you never matter because there are so many people around the world who truly enjoy you.
From that random lady at the airport who chatted you up for three hours, to your inseparable hostel best friend who made you laugh until you cried—people adore you.
Traveling has been my greatest teacher, shaping me in ways I never expected. These lessons have not only made me a better traveler but a better person. So, here’s to the adventures ahead and the endless learning they bring.