10 Things You Should Do BEFORE your 1st Adventure

Every adventure starts out with the unknown. Minimize the avoidable mishaps by reading the 10 things I wish I knew before my first adventure.

#1 – Buy a wall adapter! This is an absolute must for those traveling overseas. What a shock it was when my phone was at 3% at the hotel in the Netherlands ready for bed and my adapter didn’t plug into the wall! Buy one ahead of time and save yourself the headache and $$$ overseas. Don’t know which one to buy? I recommend buying a universal adapter, that way you’re prepared for anything!

#2 – Start an art/regular travel journal. I started this waayyy to late into my travels! I didn’t have anything fancy when I started-just a pen and two highlighters. But even now looking back, I love my entries where I captured that view going through the Suez or my documentation I of the conversations in the restaurant in Sri Lanka. Check Pinterest for some inspiration for your journal!

#3 – Don’t pack more than one pair of jeans. Two if you’re really a jean person. Seriously, you don’t need more than that. Pack light and efficient. It depends on the climate and place, but in general, pack a pair of jeans, khaki/black pants, yoga pants and sweats/shorts (for pajamas in case the hotel is cold/warm!)

#4 – Bring the following: a rain jacket (you never know when it will start pouring), a small backpack (for hands-free day trips), comfy shoes (so you don’t cut any day short due to tired feet) and a lock (for lockers at hostels/hotels).

#5 – Cash is king – hide a wad somewhere. You’ll never know what kind of situation you’ll end up in. Be prepared for an unfortunate circumstance. Hide a stash of a hundred or so somewhere not easily accessible. This way, in the worst case scenario where you lose your wallet or your credit card gets eaten by an ATM, you’re not suddenly having the worst day ever.

#6 – Set the intention. Why are you traveling? Is it to discover the most perfect cafe or is it to get the adrenaline rush you’ve been craving? Setting up what’s important to your travels can help you narrow down plans for the day.

#7 – Balance your indoor and outdoor activities. Get the whole experience a place has to offer! Take an afternoon to roam the streets and sit in the parks. Then in the evening, enjoy a show or a fancy diner.

#8 – Do money conversions about a week before you go. Airports charge a larger fee when you arrive. Save money and head to the bank a week or so before the trip.

#9 – Skip big souvenirs. For the obvious reasons, large keepsakes are cumbersome to haul around a drag back to your home. Opt for postcards or jewelry! Postcards can double as cute pieces of art in frames. Jewelry from around the world will remind you of all your fun times when you accessorize – also can become fun conversation pieces!

#10 – Read a book set in the place you’re headed to. This creates more of a connection to the place before you get there. Then when you finally arrive, you can experience the novel in a more first hand experience.

What are your travel tips you wish you knew before you set out? Let me know in the comments below!

Below is a poem about setting out on the first adventure. Hope it sparks your wanderlust <3

Off and Away

Should the yearning prove to be
too great to endure
leave swiftly without a trace
This way I know that your desperation
exceeded your fear of my disapproval
 
All I ask
Is that when you take the first few paces
out into the unknown
Savor that initial sensation of detachment
 
Notice
how your feet fly freely beneath you
now that they are unchained from a dwelling
 
Notice
how the air prickles your lungs
stiff with change and boundless possibilities
 
Notice
how your soul flutters wildly
now that you are hummingbird freed from a confine
 
Solidify that moment into your very being
So when you’re ridden with longing for the comfort in the familiar
and your enticed
to make the return voyage home before the exploration begins
You’ll think back to the glory of the beginning
And you’ll find the strength
to endeavor on
 
This way
when you finally come back home to me
you will not tell me a story of defeat
but of magnificent victory
from your adventures 
 
off & away

 - Poetic Peach