I have officially traveled around the world. Here's what I learned

I have officially traveled around the world. Here's what I learned

Seven years ago I asked a question on Quora: What counts as a trip around the world? It sparked an interesting discussion there and later here on our own site. We decided that what matters is not the number of countries visited or borders crossed, but the number of regions on the risk map you saw. The logic was that visiting half of the 42 risk regions would provide a better sampling of the world.

A recent trip through Australia means I've finally visited 21 high-risk regions and can officially say I've traveled the world.

old=““>Fair useKia visited 21 of the 42 regions on the risk map

Traveling has taught me a lot of things and I wanted to take a break and share them here. These are not practical tips or travel tips (you can find those in our travel book). Nor do they reflect life as a blogger (which can be found here and here). Instead, they offer general insights into life, love and beyond.

1. Travel builds a life well lived

In the last two years, two young family members have been diagnosed with cancer. Last year Peter lost his mother to cancer. The year also marked the 10th anniversary of my father's death. Death and sickness have knocked on our doors, so it is not lightly that I say that if I had just a short time left on earth, I would be satisfied that I had lived a full life.

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Family, love and laughter have made me happiest, but traveling has truly made me feel like I have lived a full life. Exploring 50 countries means I've seen the Northern Lights, stood on the crater of an active volcano, heard the crackle of a magnificent glacier, dived in the Galápagos, swam with humpback whales and jumped out of a plane - more than once.

I saw Easter Island and explored many wonders of the world, including Petra, Machu Picchu, the Colosseum, Chichen Itza, and Christ the Redeemer. I really feel like I have a life well lived and that is mostly due to travel.

2. Most people don't care about the environment

The world isn't getting better and most people don't care. Hotels urge us to reuse towels for the sake of the environment, but then put shampoo and conditioner in single-use plastic containers, meaning most people go through two bottles a day.

Single-use plastic straws, takeaway coffee cups, small packets of butter, and knives and forks are absolutely everywhere - and most of us use them without thought or care. Sometimes we use a plastic item for just a few seconds before throwing it away without thinking that it can take 400 years to decompose.

3. Trust is like a muscle

When Peter and I set off on our first big trip, he did most of the logistical wrangling: buying tickets at train stations, asking about timetables, booking tables at restaurants, and so on. He was generally more direct and less reserved.

Six months later we arrived in South America, where I took the reins because I had basic Spanish and he didn't. For five months I traveled around the continent, I was the one making calls, asking questions and booking rooms.

Doing all of this in my third language has boosted my confidence tremendously. I didn't even know how much until we visited Turkey a year later and Peter commented that I was much more direct. I realized that confidence is like a muscle: the more it is exercised, the stronger it becomes.

4. When in doubt, spend the money

When it comes to experience, I learned that I should just go ahead and spend the money. In Patagonia, we skipped trekking on the Perito Moreno Glacier because it cost $100 per person. Years later, I regret not doing the hike. If I had spent the money, I wouldn't be thinking about that $100 at all.

alt="Perito Moreno Glacier">Atlas & BootsPerito Moreno Glacier

I have the privilege of living in a developed country and in reality $100 isn't very much for me - one or maybe two dinners in London. Is this comparable to trekking on the Perito Moreno Glacier? Not for a minute.

Well, when I have doubts, I spend the money.

5. People are a product of their environment

Lists like these often claim that “people are naturally kind” or “people are inherently equal.” I'm not sure if that's true. I believe that people are a product of their environment, meaning that some people are friendly and others are not.

I would like to believe in a universal good that connects us all, but I don't think that's true. If each of us had grown up in a vacuum, we might have equally pure moral values ​​and impulses, but we aren't and I don't think we do.

6. Older people are often more interesting

Most people tend to be attracted to their peers. This is logical if you're under 28, for example, but in later years you'll probably find that older people are more interesting than younger people.

I'd rather talk to a 45-year-old than a 25-year-old. In my experience, those a decade older have a wealth of interesting insights and quirky stories, certainly more than those a decade younger.

7. You're not too old to learn new tricks

I learned to ride a bike when I was 28, about 21 years after most of my friends. I learned to ride at the age of 30 and learned to scuba dive at the age of 31. I have suffered more than a few injuries from these newly taken up activities, but I have improved in my skills over the years and have always enjoyed it. Traveling has taught me that I'm not too old to learn new tricks, and you probably aren't either.

Kia cycled across Burma, despite learning to drive at the age of 28

8. Comparison is the thief of joy

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Travel has taught me that this is true – at least for me. Sometimes I look at my friends in London with their careers, big houses and multiple cars and wonder if I'm doing the right thing by traveling instead of working in an office and trying to swap my one-bedroom apartment in London for something bigger in the suburbs.

When I meet with these friends and they tell me how much they hate their work and wish they could do what I do, Roosevelt's quote rings truest.

9. Phones destroy our manners

I have a strict rule against using phones at the dinner table. I will not tolerate Peter using his phone while we eat and I always return the courtesy. Too many times I've seen couples (in places like Mauritius, Fiji, and Tahiti, no less) staring into their phones at the dinner table instead of talking to each other or enjoying their surroundings.

alt="Things to know about Australia Whitehaven Beach">Atlas & BootsEven in paradise, people stare at their cell phones

Much is made of the fact that we had other ways to ignore each other before phones became popular (books, newspapers, etc.), but nothing feels as intrusive or ubiquitous as smartphone use. I really feel like something is being lost in this collective addiction.

10. There really is no place like home

When Peter and I set out on our first big trip in 2014, part of our motivation was to find a new home. We were tired of London and tired of Britain's bad weather. We wanted somewhere warm, preferably near a beach and within walking distance of a good Indian restaurant.

We have since learned that nothing compares to home. Nothing can replace the lightness and understanding you feel among your compatriots, as well as your shared culture and sense of humor.

Family also plays a big role. Last year I wrote about the joy of spending time with family - something I'm sure will never change. After visiting 50 countries, including Ushuaia, “the end of the world,” and the Antipodes, I have learned that there really is no place like home.

Our lessons learned are read by 150,000 people every month here at Atlas & Boots. We've put together our best tips and advice in a handy guide called Don't Offer Papaya: 101 Tips for Your First Time Around the World.

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