Traveling is the best investment you can make for yourself. It opens your mind, betters your social skills, and improves your ability to learn foreign languages, which then further improves your social skills.
You take great pictures and create memories that last a lifetime. Your tolerance for the unknown and the unfamiliar skyrockets, you become a more agreeable person, always with new perspectives up your sleeves.
Once you're in a place where no one knows you, you get to know yourself more than ever. There are no expectations, no inside jokes, and you can just relax and be yourself. You don't have to impress anyone; you're not likely to ever see these people again.
Being in a situation where you're forced to make friends with people you don't know boosts your confidence and helps you become a more easy-going person. The benefits of traveling are undeniable.
The hardest things about traveling are coming home to your routine after it's all done, and packing before it all starts. As seasoned travelers ourselves, we've put together a list of indispensable items that will make your trip much more comfortable.
A Good, Sturdy Backpack and Packing Cubes
Your luggage can make or break your trip. If you're just going to land, hop in a cab to get to your resort, a roll-on should work. If you're planning on moving around a lot, though, taking public transport, and staying at hostels, then a sturdy backpack is indispensable.
It fits smoothly under your bunk in a hostel when you're carrying everything on your back; you can hail buses easier, pay for tickets, check maps on your phone, and pull out your passport, phone, smokes, or whatever you would need your hands for.
Packing cubes compress your clothes and make sure everything fits in smaller spaces. A good backpack is practical because some airlines will let you take it as your carry on. Furthermore, it's easier to walk and hop on and off buses with it.
Once you're checked in, and you have your bed assigned, the packing cubes serve as your closet. You are able to sort your stuff much easier when you have something to arrange it in. Stack them up under your bed and divide them by category.
Shoes for Everything, and Sandals for Everything Else
Shoes can be bulky, heavy, and hard to carry. Imagine having one pair that goes for everything: one that gives you enough height to be sexy, you can use them for hiking, and can wear them in the rain. One solution; look up platform boots on sale online.
Other than this one pair of shoes, also make sure to pack a pair of sandals that work everywhere.
We tried many and found that Teva makes the most comfortable and sturdiest sandals for travelers. You can get them wet, count on them to not slip when you're bouldering or climbing mountains, and they just look gorgeous.
Having shoes and sandals that offer multiple uses is something worth investing in before traveling. It saves space, you carry less on your back, and you travel lighter. Anything with multiple uses is a fantastic asset to add to your luggage when you pack.
Reusable Everything
A lot of fast food places use disposables. These are detrimental to the planet, for our health, and for the ecosystem. Carry a reusable bottle and fill it wherever you can (most hostels will have a water fountain).
Carry a reusable mug, a tupperware, and utensils for when you get food to go. Don't let your desire to not create trash stop you from trying the local delicacies. If you're taking buses, get ready for blasting ACs. It's insanely practical to pack at least one reusable napkin.
Bars, All of the Bars
You can either add pounds of products to your weight, or you can get bars. There's a bar for everything now. You can use a shampoo bar, a conditioner bar, a facial cleanser bar, and a body wash bar.
Bars are the more eco-friendly option; they're lighter to carry, and they're kinder on your face, body, and hair.
Get a Neck Pillow, or Don't, but Get Going!
Neck pillows are debatable; some think they take up too much space. Others hang them on the outside of their backpacks. Others say that's a recipe for them to collect dirt. With or without the pillow, get out and plan your next trip!
It will broaden your horizons, build memories, help you get to know yourself, get you friends all over the world, and teach you lessons you'd otherwise never learn.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
