No coming-of-age story is complete without the quintessential trip abroad. You know the one: girl travels to France or Italy to wear fabulous outfits, go on photogenic adventures, and perhaps meet the love of her life. In the spirit of coming-of-age journeys, I set off to Paris, London, and Lisbon last month. Granted, there was no love story and I wore the same two outfits over and over again, but it was still an amazing experience I’m not likely to forget.
With that being said, no great adventure is without its flaws. I had my fair share of embarrassments and committed just about every faux pas possible. Here are the 3 worst mistakes I made— do us both a favor and don’t repeat them on your next trip.
1. Not preparing for the worst
Normally I take pride in my optimistic outlook, but when traveling, you need to expect the worst. So many aspects of travel are beyond your control, and it’s important to be mentally prepared for anything (read: everything) to go wrong. When my family’s flight got canceled and we had to stay the night by the airport, trust me, we were a mess. And when we arrived in Paris and our bags were still in New York, doubly so. There’s nothing we could have done to prevent this situation, but entertaining that there’s always a possibility of something going wrong could have kept us from getting quite so shaken up.
2. succumbing to jet lag
Changing time zones, sitting for hours, and a bizarre eating schedule may leave you tired or wired when you arrive at your destination. While this may be unavoidable, it’s important that you shift to your new time zone as quickly as possible. Don’t take a nap in the middle of the day and don’t stay up all night. This is easier said than done, but so necessary. I found myself awake almost all night the first few days after arriving in Europe, then practically falling asleep while standing on the metro. If collapsing on public transportation isn’t your idea of a good time, try to fight that jet lag!
3. Wearing Shoes not made for Walking
If you’re going to any European city, you’ll likely be walking. A lot. Public transportation was amazing in the cities I visited, and Uber was often cheaper than it is at home, but there’s no avoiding the thousands of steps you’ll be taking each day. There’s so much to explore and often traveling by foot just makes the most sense. You’ll be exhausted and your Apple Watch will be happy. Because of this, it’s so important that you bring shoes you can walk long distances in. Don’t waste precious packing space with shoes you couldn’t walk miles in, no matter how cute they are. Your fits may suffer but your feet will thank you, trust me.
I hope these tips help make your future travels go a bit more smoothly. Don’t stress too much, though, as making mistakes is a natural part of travel. In fact, the things that go wrong might turn into some of your favorite memories (or at least the funniest stories)! Happy travels!