Susan Staley 3/6/26 Susan Staley 3/6/26

Six Things I’ve Learned from Travel

Travel has been one of my greatest teachers. Not just about geography or food or culture—but about myself. Every missed train, unexpected friendship, wrong turn, and quiet solo dinner shaped me in ways I never expected.

Here are six of the most meaningful lessons I’ve learned from traveling.

1. How to Manage Expectations and Deal with Disappointment

No trip ever goes exactly as planned.

Flights get delayed. Hotels look nothing like their photos. The “hidden gem” restaurant is closed on Tuesdays. Weather ruins the postcard-perfect view you imagined.

At first, disappointment feels heavy. But travel taught me something powerful: expectations are often the real problem—not reality.

When I started leaving space for unpredictability, everything changed. I learned to:

Replace rigid plans with flexible outlines
Focus on experiences instead of perfection
Ask, “What’s possible now?” instead of “Why isn’t this working?”

Ironically, some of my favorite memories came from “ruined” plans. The canceled tour that led to wandering local streets. The missed bus that introduced me to someone fascinating.

Disappointment isn’t the end of the story. It’s often the start of a better one.

2. How to Be Resourceful and Stick to a Budget

Travel quickly teaches you the value of money.

When you’re watching every dollar (or euro, or peso), you become creative:

Cooking simple meals instead of dining out every night
Walking instead of taking taxis
Finding free museums and community events
Choosing experiences over souvenirs

Budget travel isn’t about deprivation—it’s about intention.

I learned to ask:

Is this worth it?
What matters most today?
Where can I adjust without sacrificing joy?

Being resourceful builds confidence. When you can stretch a budget in an unfamiliar place, you start believing you can handle more than you thought.

Repairing our tent on a backpacking trip in Iceland

3. How to Take Public Transportation

Public transportation used to intimidate me. I grew up in a small town with no public transit. My first time riding a metro was the summer after I graduated from high school.

Different languages. Different ticket systems. Different rules. One wrong platform and you’re headed the opposite direction.

But navigating buses, metros, and trains in unfamiliar cities forced me to:

Read maps carefully
Ask strangers for help
Stay calm under pressure
Pay attention to details

There’s something deeply empowering about figuring it out.

The first time I successfully navigated a complicated metro system alone, I felt unstoppable. Public transit isn’t just transportation—it’s a crash course in independence and adaptability.

4. How to Make New Friends

When you travel, you’re constantly outside your comfort zone. And that vulnerability opens doors.

You learn how to:

Start conversations with strangers
Share stories quickly
Find common ground across cultures
Listen more than you speak

Some friendships last an evening. Others last years.

Travel strips away small talk. When you meet someone on the road, you’re often meeting them in a raw, open, curious state. That creates connection faster than you’d expect.

I’ve shared meals with people whose language I barely spoke—and somehow we understood each other perfectly.

Jarda and I met when we were both in New Zealand on a working holiday in 2012. We got to catch up again in 2015 in London.

5. The Courage to Go It Alone

Solo travel is one of the most confronting—and rewarding—experiences I’ve ever had.

There’s no one to lean on.
No one to decide for you.
No one to fill the silence.

At first, it feels uncomfortable. Then it feels freeing.

Traveling alone taught me:

I can eat at a restaurant by myself
I can explore a city without a companion
I can solve problems independently
I enjoy my own company

Being alone in a foreign place forces you to trust yourself. And once you’ve done that, everyday challenges feel smaller.

Courage isn’t loud. Sometimes it’s just boarding the plane.

On a 3 month solo backpacking trip throughout SE Asia I met countless new friends and got offered a job leading gap year programs.

6. How to Manage Risk

Travel involves risk. Missed connections. Lost luggage. Unfamiliar neighborhoods. Health concerns. Uncertainty.

You can’t eliminate risk—but you can manage it.

I’ve learned to:

Research before arriving
Keep digital copies of important documents
Trust my instincts
Stay aware without becoming paranoid
Have backup plans

The goal isn’t fearlessness. It’s informed confidence.

Travel sharpened my judgment. It taught me to distinguish between healthy caution and unnecessary anxiety.

Final Thoughts

Travel didn’t just show me new places—it revealed new parts of myself.

It taught me flexibility when plans fall apart. Creativity when money runs tight. Confidence when I’m lost. Openness when meeting strangers. Bravery when I’m alone. Awareness when facing uncertainty.

And the most surprising lesson of all?

You don’t come back the same person who left.

Every trip leaves something behind—and brings something new home with you.

Susan Staley 2/19/24 Susan Staley 2/19/24

Laura's Gap Semester

I had always dreamt of traveling and making a difference in my community. After completing high school, I looked for a gap year counselor who could guide me in choosing programs that would be best suited for me. Susan helped me find the perfect programs, and I am grateful for everything I learned and discovered about myself. I got to visit several places and meet new people. Last year was the best year of my life.

My first experience was with the Northwest Youth Corps in Oregon. I didn't expect it to be as challenging as it was, but it taught me many valuable lessons. I had to push myself to the limits, and I gained a great deal of discipline, which I needed. I ended up meeting some fantastic people, and we bonded over the shared experience. The views we had after hiking to the top of the mountains were wonderful. Even when some members quit, and we faced challenges, we stuck together. Overall, it was one of the hardest yet most rewarding things I have ever done.

Laura tent camped for 5 weeks in the Pacific Northwest while volunteering with Northwest Youth Conservation Corps

Laura and fellow corps members enjoying some time on the beach

My second experience was with Give & Surf in Panama, and it was life-changing. I remember arriving and thinking I was in paradise. When I met my boss, I thought she was the sweetest. We ended up being three volunteers, and counting my boss, four people lived in the volunteer house. We became close, and I still talk to them and miss them so much. There was Chris from the Netherlands, Riley from the States, and Danielle from Canada. I volunteered at a preschool and a community center. It was crazy to me that we traveled from our volunteer house to the the preschool by boat, which worked like a school bus too. I remember the kids like it was yesterday. They were full of life and always smiling. I wish the experience never ended.

During my gap semester, I had the opportunity to participate in a program with Raleigh International in Costa Rica. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there were 87 members in the program. Although initially shy, my previous experiences helped me come out of my shell. I made lots of new friends and had a great time socializing with everyone.

As I was only there for seven weeks, I only participated in two phases: trek and community. During the community phase, we built a classroom entirely from scratch, which was a lot of fun. The second phase was the trek, which was quite challenging but also incredibly rewarding. We hiked for 250 kilometers and faced numerous obstacles along the way. However, these challenges brought our group closer together and made us stronger. Finally, arriving at the beach after such a long hike was an indescribably rewarding experience, and doing it with my friends made it even better.