It has been a trend now: the word ‘travelling’. You can find the word floating around in almost everyone’s mind these days.
The countless ‘travel solo’, ‘wanderlust’, ‘travel diaries’ and whatnot hashtags make it even worse for us to reflect on our studies or long hours of desk jobs.
We swear to save funds and travel to cut across the routine monotonous days of our lives. But we forget to ask ourselves. What is traveling anyway?
Is it just the pictures posted on the social profiles and the hashtags to go along with it?
The check-ins at the remotest of places or the blogs about them? Most of the people who say they have traveled so many places won’t tell you the hard part- the difficulties of traveling.
And before you plan your schedule for the travel, here are some lesser known travel facts that most people won’t tell you.
8 Ultimate Facts about Travel No One Has Ever Told You
1. You will always forget something
This one is universal on the list of travel facts.
No matter how early you start packing so that you don’t leave behind anything, you will always ‘forget’ something and it will never be enough.
Maybe you’ll regret not carrying along your stilettos or tuxedos for that unexpected ball dance night on your way to your destination.
But who knows what might come your way. So it is not worth carrying the extra baggage for a mere 3 hours of looking ‘appropriate’.
Instead, take what you need and you will feel much better with less baggage to carry.
2. What are hygienic toilets?
You might not always get clean, ceramic-tiled, and luxurious fitting toilets. Well, you may not find toilets at all!
Traveling to places less- known also means toilets which are not so clean and will force you to puke.
So all the plans you have of relieving yourself? Forget that happening in hygienic washrooms every time.
3. Edible is your food
There is no such thing as delicious when you are traveling.
You always take what you get, and it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t have pepper and salt in it.
The food might not even be cooked! But, it is edible and available. So it is what you eat.
4. There might not be a perfect stranger
Certain travel facts exist to burst your bubble. This is one of them. We keep seeing in movies how strangers meet while traveling and become friends or fall in love.
But in reality, there might not be a perfect stranger who has the most interesting topics to talk about.
Most of the times you will meet regular people with regular hobbies, and topics with opinions.
The conversations will not necessarily be life-changing and meaningful. So do not expect, but try to be the perfect stranger for others. Who knows, stars may flip onto your side?
5. Get used to zero rides and homeless nights
Hitchhiking is your mantra while traveling. The money you planned to spend on this trip will either not be enough, or will be spent on other things beforehand.
So get used to traveling in filled-to-the-door buses or trucks, and forget to get a hotel every time you decide to stay the night.
Carry a camping kit, make the sky your blanket, and mosquitoes your companions.
6. Your preferences are just that. Yours.
In the duration of your stay at a place, your preferences to see a monument or go trekking or even going to a flea market are yours.
The people you travel with may have different ones. And you will have to go with the majority. Even if you travel solo, it is not necessary that the weather will be on your side.
You can never be a 100% sure if what you want to do is what you will do.
7. Perfect views are for your eyes
Admit it, we all want it. But we are not, and probably will never be good photographers. This entails that you may not get the perfect picture to post on Facebook and Instagram.
No matter how much you try, every angle and light will lack something. And all you can do is sit and look at the view, capturing it not in your data card, but in your mind to be a memory.
8. Planning is in vain
Seven-day trip, you say? Not to burst your bubble, but you will miss out on something.
We spend hours even days planning the perfect trip, but we may end up extending the trip, or miss out on something because most things never go as planned.
You must understand you can never predict which place will make your stay and which place will make you leave soon, or what curve of the road looks so beautiful that you will just stop the car, get out, and sit as the sun sets for the day.
Planning your schedule beforehand is futile, instead, you will have to leave behind the controlling nature of yours and go with the flow.
Yes, for all those who were looking out for a vacation, this is a disaster!
But you see, if you really want to travel and go through all the things unsaid, you will find yourself doing the exact same thing all the travelers end up doing. Enjoying the journey.
There are indeed two sides to traveling
Yes, you are not ready for all the hard part of traveling. But, who is ever ready?
You never know what a funny story it will make when you wore baggy jeans to a restaurant or the time when you puked on a friend when you ate food from that Dhaba!
You never know, but you might end up laughing remembering the time when that shady hotel you stayed at once, kicked you out so you slept with your friends on the pavement with a cute little dog to keep you company.
Or what a beautiful story to remember it would be when you sat on the rock overlooking the valley, a gentle breeze playing with your hair, as you saw the rain clouds moving towards you.
Not all travel facts are disheartening. So, stop worrying and take the chance, take friends, old and new, and discover places. Because traveling is indeed a beautiful thing!
