Travel: Balancing the Bliss and Bumps

*This post has some affliate links. Your support is highly appreciated!*

*This post has some affliate links. Your support is highly appreciated!*

Travel is a great and transformative experience. It uncovers bliss and bumps. As I make travel plans, I am aware that not all will go as planned. We spend more than 80% of our time thinking about the good things about travel. We get excited to see new places. We sometimes avoid thinking of what might go wrong. The times I have traveled are filled with the good. It is wise to share the bad as well because this isn’t a perfect world. But what have I gone through that is considered a bump?

The Bliss

Making good friends

Traveling is a wonderful experience. It gives us the chance to discover new locations. It helps us engage with diverse cultures, and make lifelong memories. There are chances to meet new people and develop lifelong friendships. This is one of the most priceless parts of any journey.

I thought about my own travel experiences. I got overwhelmed with gratitude. I have met such amazing people. These incredible people have enhanced my experiences. I can call some friends with pride.

Having oysters for the first time

I love food adventure. There are foods that you won’t find in your country. Seafood tends to be more expensive here. It pays to have a coast. I tried oysters first time in Walvis Bay. I heard rumours about them. Rumour has it they are an afrodisiac. I don’t know if that is true. The combination of them with champagne was amazing.

A good first-time review of Couchsurf 

We always have that nervous feeling of trying certain things for the first time. The feeling is worse when it involves staying with total strangers in their space. “What if” questions cloud your mind. I tried this once. I made a profile on Couchsurf and had my doubts. I got offers from some male hosts for example and some would try to be too much in your business. I then looked for family hosts instead of lone ranger hosts. I then stayed with this family. It turned out Couchsurf is not all that bad. I had a full dose of luck! The family was such a cool family. We hang out together and sometimes they let me have my space. I am glad they left this good review of me. I also did.

Meeting someone you know whilst far from home 

We meet lots of people whilst traveling. It’s a whole different situation when you meet someone you know not because you planned it. I was in Johannesburg at Curiocity Backpackers and went down the road for some coffee. I enjoyed it and took a tour around. I found street food displays and decided to help myself. I turned around to have a closer look at the other food stands. I then met a former classmate from high school. Long story short, it turned out to be a fun-packed night driving around town. I ended up crushing at hers. This has happened to me twice. The other person I met looked like they were having a great time with their significant other. I didn’t wanna intrude so I kept the ‘catch up’ to a minimum.

Click here if you need a place like home on your travels

Getting an upgrade, discount or freebie

We all love upgrades, discounts, or freebies. When you book a place to stay, it’s a pleasant surprise to discover you have an upgrade. This one time, I booked a place in a simple-looking chalet next to the Okavango Delta. I only found out that I was gonna get a room upgrade. Another time, I booked many days in a hostel. I was only told when a client books over a certain number of days, they get a room upgrade. You can also enjoy these deals on Booking.com.

Falling in love while travelling

Sometimes I appear ‘tough’ on the outside. And everyone should. It’s necessary to have a facade once in a while. Everyone has a soft spot for something or someone. Falling for someone is not something you plan for like your travel budget. It would be weird if that happened. Travel allows you to meet people. Falling for someone is possible. Plus, it makes the feeling intense if you both love the same things. It’s okay to throw all caution of distance to the wind. Enjoy the feeling until the time reality sets in.

Click here for free personal development courses

The Bumps

Language Barrier

This must be a problem for many. You are at immigration waiting to know the verdict. You come into contact with that one officer that assumes all Africans speak Swahili. You first let it slide because you think he is joking. He keeps rubbing it in and this tests your patience. After a while, you are not sure whether he is teasing you or he is naive. What’s worse is he does this so everyone can hear. You go your way and go through but it’s like the situation repeats itself elsewhere. I found this to be a problem in East Africa. I have accepted English is not their official language.  At the airports or official places, expect communication in Swahili.

Over-charge the non-local

Expect to buy the same product with a local at a different price. This may not be the case with supermarkets. In a supermarket prices are standard. There are times you want to get yourself some biryani or kebabs from an open food market. The moment you speak English, the sellers experience a “light bulb” moment. This means everything on their stand gets hiked. They have the right to do that because it’s their business. It is a common trend in some countries that puts non-locals off.

Click here for that TEFL Course and teach English Abroad

Confiscating items at the airport

Sometimes a journey starts with a road trip then you return by air. You forget how half your toiletry bag will be left at inspection. All your medium to large-sized products become donations. This is restricting though we try to understand the rules. This one time I attended a cowboy-themed party. It was an amazing event. I bought a toy gun and it fit well with my costume. I was gonna stash that toy gun in my souvenir-collection bag. I proved to the polite lady I found that it was a toy gun but to no avail. The funniest incident was when I used the airport in Harare, Zimbabwe. This period (don’t know about now) was a time of cash crisis for the country. I was seen counting some Zimbabwe currency. I was approached by a concerned man. He said that the country was already lacking money for me to leave Zimbabwe with their currency.

Meeting horrible persons

We meet all sorts of people when traveling. Some angels, some demons. I once observed an experience during the post-covid period. I was in a hostel with other roommates. There was this unpleasant roommate who thought all his opinions about being jabbed with the vaccine were to be respected. I could tell he offended most roommates and some felt he was bossy. This can be disturbing if you have hopes to enjoy yourself.

Click here if you need a place like home on your travels

Am sure this list could be endless but those have been some of my blisses and bumps.