The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Travelers
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When people hear that we’ve been traveling around the world, they often imagine the two of us relaxing on a beach, drinking mai tais and reclining under flaming tiki torches.
Sure.
In reality, it’s no wonder that the word “travel” is derived from the French word travail meaning “to work hard, to toil.” While we may occasionally indulge in beachside cocktails here and there, our days are typically filled with on-the-fly problem solving in ever-changing contexts: finding decent places to sleep, negotiating safe transport, and keeping ourselves well and well-fed so that we may focus on understanding the places we visit and the people we meet.
But this makes independent travel sound like something of an exercise in endurance. Much more than that, it facilitates the development and sharpening of a rather specific set of life skills that not only come in handy on the road but also translate in the real world (you know, the place where tiki torches are replaced by fluorescent track lights).
In no particular order:
1. Seek First to Adapt, Then to Complain (a.k.a., Adaptability) – Living outside your comfort zone becomes the norm on the road. New environments provide different challenges; what worked in the last country may not work in the next. All that stuff you became accustomed to just last week? Forget about it. Independent travel forces you to continually size up each situation and adapt accordingly. Your resulting experience depends on it. Sometimes your life may, too.
We’re reminded of: When we (two American non-Muslims) were presented with a steaming bowl of goat bits at a feast to break the Ramadan fast in Kyrgyzstan, we joined in by reluctantly chewing on a jaw bone.
2. Plan With Multiple Outcomes in Mind (a.k.a, Planning) – Determine which variables are most important to you (e.g., comfort, cost, risk, time), do your planning, and optimize accordingly. In doing so, you create not only Plans A and B, but also Plans C and D, too. In the end, circumstances force you to a hastily crafted Plan E, which you later realize may have been the best plan all along.
We’re reminded of: When a Chinese train station attendant informs us that the train no longer runs to our next destination, we don’t force it. We find another one…and stumble upon a Tibetan opera festival.
3. Work a way in. Leave a way out. (a.k.a., Problem Solving) – Independent travel presents myriad problems to solve, from the mundane (how to find your way to the bus station) to the critical (whether taking that bus will present personal danger). Strikes close transport routes, hotels fill up, and conflicting information confounds. The constant challenge: work your way into the circumstances you want, while continuously leaving room for an exit strategy should the ground shift under your feet.
We’re reminded of: When the land border crossing from Uzbekistan into Kazakhstan engulfed us in a sea of humanity. We used not only our physical strength but also our wit to find a way out, barely.
4. Find the Common Ground (a.k.a., Negotiation and Compromise) – As in life, fruitful travel experiences depend often on seeking an outcome where all involved are reasonably satisfied and feel that they have been respected in the process. And we are not just talking about agreeing on the right price for your hotel room or compromising with your travel buddies about which bar to go to. Win-win relates to the larger issues of negotiating common space where prevailing cultural norms and standards may be at odds with your own.
We’re reminded of: In the hills of Svaneti, Georgia, our host family shares their emotions, we share their sorrow. Then we find a graceful exit.
5. Tune In, Filter Often (a.k.a., Observation and Perception) – Seek out the signal while filtering out the noise, particularly in order to fully appreciate what it is that you’ve come to see: the culture, the people, the country. And while you keep your eyes wide open to all that is new around you, also keep in mind that wide-eyed perception is well-served when paired with a finely-tuned bullshit detector.
We’re reminded of: In the middle of the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan, two Tajik soldiers train their Kalashnikov rifles on us and ask for our documents. We formulate an excuse to return to the view of our driver and jeep.
6. Have Less, Do More (a.k.a., Resourcefulness) – Develop an ability to very quickly uncover relevant sources, glean meaningful data and assimilate it. Information can be found everywhere – from local people on the street to other travelers to quick searches on the internet. But the trick to finding the golden nuggets: remain open to the right people while sifting out the shills and the under-informed.
We’re reminded of: Our goal: hiking in Nepal’s Himalayas without breaking the bank. We were astounded by the prices we were quoted initially (in the $1000s of dollars) for this trip-of-a-lifetime trek for which we eventually paid about $500. How? We performed some online and on-the-ground research, talked to everyone we met who completed the trek, and triangulated our data. The result: we took the same trek as supermodel Gemma Ward.
7. Find a Common Language, Create One if You Must (a.k.a., Communication) – Interacting with people is arguably the most rewarding part of travel. It can also be the most exhausting. Having to frequently adjust to different cultures and languages takes both skill and energy. Leverage your non-verbal and verbal communication skills in order to build bridges of trust and worthwhile relationships.
We’re reminded of: Breaking down language barriers in China’s poorest province through non-verbal communication and enjoying lunch with locals.
———
Should a prospective client or employer ever ask “What good have all your travels done for you?” you’ll be able to connect the dots between your travel experiences and your personal and professional growth.
And think: this list is simply the beginning. After all, we couldn’t really have called it “Top Ten Habits,” could we? It just wouldn’t have had the same ring.
Thanks to Stephen Covey for his original 7 Habits, and for helping us to keep our lists short.
Article Series - Personal Growth Through Travel
- The Joy of Living Deliberately: 7 Questions
- Are You a Stuff Junkie or an Experience Junkie?
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Travelers
- Two Years On, What Have We Learned?
September 29th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Regarding point #7, I recently interviewed the founder of Project Play for an article. His bridge to communication: soccer. It’s really amazing what can happen when we stop thinking about language and start thinking about commonalities.
September 29th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
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September 30th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Had to laugh at your first line because that is exactly what people thought (and still think) when we told them we were moving to Brazil. Ha! Far from it, no doubt.
What a great list! It sounds like you all have gained so much knowledge through your experiences. Thanks for sharing it all with us. I love the A through E plans. I’m a planner, but equally open to tossing it out the window if it doesn’t work out so this one was especially good for me.
September 30th, 2009 at 11:43 am
This is great! Thanks for writing such thoughtful content– your work stands out from others because of your dedication.
I’m not sure I’m always a highly effective traveler, but I try to go for five out of seven or so.
September 30th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
This is fantastic Audrey & Dan! You two definitely epitomize “effective travelers”, bar none.
Coincidentally I’m currently reading that book – 7 habits of highly effective people
September 30th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
So true — there is a pretty big difference between sipping mai tais on a beach and hiking in Nepal! Being flexible and being observant are definitely vital to travel. So many people want to plan their trips out to a T and get upset when things don’t go accordingly, but sometimes the beauty of travel is those unexpected things that happen.
September 30th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Having traveled a great deal I can identify with so many of these habits. What has travel done for me? – Its always been about the journey – the good, the great, and the down right terrible. You are so right about connecting the dots between travel experiences, personal and professional growth – all the habits are effective for enjoying the ride we call life!
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:42 am
I have found these come natually once you get travelling for a while, it’s actually hard not to do them eventually!
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:45 am
[...] One of the most popular posts in the twitterverse this week come from Uncornered Market. Audrey and Daniel offer up the 7 habits of highly effective travelers. [...]
October 3rd, 2009 at 1:43 pm
The more adaptable you are the easier your travels become, a great #1 to this list.
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Fantastic post as usual! I love how you share moments after each piece of advice. You have certainly lived a full life these past few years. Thanks for sharing and I will keep all of your points in mind when we start our travels next month.
October 4th, 2009 at 9:53 am
First, I completely agree that backpacking is the nitty gritty type of travel. It takes hard work and a lot of problem solving….which is strangely why I enjoy it so much.
In the past few weeks, I have been looking at people’s travel blog sites and I am suprised that I just happened to stumble upon this one. I hope this doesn’t offend you, but I haven’t seen your name posted in many places…yet I believe your site is the best one I’ve seen!
Wonderful pictures…did you take them yourselves?
Great job! I could learn a lot from you guys…
October 5th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
@JoAnna: Shared interests definitely go a long way, whether you are traveling or not. And the most forgotten of all commonalities: that we’re all human.
@Lori: We have either gained knowledge, or perhaps reaffirmed some suspicions we might have had before embarking on the big journey. So, you are a planner? So am I, but have learned – sometimes the hard way, sometimes the easy way – that life rarely goes according to plan.
@Chris: Thanks. 5 out of 7? You mean at the same time? I’m usually focused on just one at a time
@Lola: Enjoy reading the “original” 7 Habits. As good a book as any when it comes to condensing many of the great thinkers and thoughts on personal effectiveness and personal growth. I have referred to it often – personally and as a consultant – since first reading it almost 15 years ago.
@Luba: Thanks for stopping by. I think this is the first of a few thoughts regarding how to connect travel and personal growth.
@Rob: I disagree that these habits come naturally to all long-term travelers. We’ve met quite a few who seemed to fall short, particularly when it came to adaptability and communication. Although experience and time on the road can be helpful when developing these habits, like any practice, they are more the result of conscious effort than of some inherent positive behavioral drift.
@Dave and Deb: Thanks. I suppose we have. But sometimes it takes others to let us know. Perhaps a Habit #8: Reflection?
@Lindsey: You had never heard of Uncornered Market??? Shame on you! Kidding. I suppose there could be many explanations for that.
We are not offended by the fact that you just stumbled upon our site. And we are flattered to know that among the sites you’ve visited, ours is the best you’ve seen. We are pleased to be known as a place for quality content.
We are on the road 100% and are often in developing areas with spotty internet. When it comes to allocating our time, traveling and having experiences takes priority. Behind that, generating high-quality content. Then comes marketing. And when it comes to allocating internet bandwidth, our clients come first.
This operating model may strike some as upside-down, but Google, Alexa, Lonely Planet, Tripbase and our readers seem to endorse it. Regardless, there’s always room for improvement, especially on the marketing front. That it took you some time to find us is evidence of this.
Yes, the photography is all ours, save for a photo or two (usually of us). We even did a post on street and people photography that you might enjoy:
http://www.uncorneredmarket.com/2009/05/10-tips-for-great-street-and-market-photos/
Happy travels!
October 6th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
[...] Scott of the Uncornered Market travel blog recently put up a great post looking at the “7 Habits of Highly Effective Travelers,” in other words, a guide to what you can learn from the frustration, anger and occasional [...]
October 7th, 2009 at 1:12 am
Wow… what a fantastic post. I found you through Vagablog, and I’m glad I did!
October 7th, 2009 at 11:07 am
[...] call phenomenological enrichment. Our travel gains fall on a spectrum from Mai Tais and hammocks to life skills and perspective we can bring home (or onward to our next independent [...]
October 7th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Really well-written and chock full of great advice. I like that you gave a practical application/story for each, as well. Really kept this from being ‘just another blog list.’
Just snagged your feed! Looking forward to more!
October 8th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Hi there…as someone who is embarking on a trip that will take me to a few regions of Russia, India and France, this is very timely! And well-written too!
You’ve gotten a new reader in me. Thanks much!
October 8th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Dear Audrey & Daniel, How wonderful that I stumbled onto your site….we will be logging on quite often to see what you’re up to next….hubby and I have a much-anticipated trip to Peru in less than a month and are very thrilled to see you are there! We look forward to your postings and words of wisdom!
October 11th, 2009 at 7:19 am
[...] Uncornered Market, making its first appearance in my list of favorites, lists the 7 habits of highly effective travelers. How many can you count as yours? [...]
October 11th, 2009 at 10:03 am
[...] and Audrey of Uncornered Market take a moment to lay out seven habits of highly effective travelers for those of us ready to learn from two people with a lot of miles. And what are these magical [...]
October 14th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
@Rod, Colin, Mark: Great to see you here…and thanks for the kudos. Happy travels.
@cheryl: Thank you. Enjoy your time in Peru. Big country, diverse landscape, and some interesting food. We just posted our experience at Machu Picchu, in the likely case you are headed there.
October 16th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
[...] lastly, check out Uncornered Market’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective Travelers (for more on Audrey and Scott, check out our recent NileGuide 5 interview featuring [...]
October 17th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
As an American, who has a foreign born wife with whom I travel overseas, I can add this: If you are traveling in a Muslim country, (women especially) do not hike about the country in your shorts and midriff t-shirt and flip flops, with your various tattoos showing.
Men, same thing. As an American, I witnessed this in Southeast Asia many times. It EMBARRASSES me. Go to Europe, or COVER UP. Please….
October 19th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
@Wolfie52: Good advice, the sort someone might follow if s/he were applying #1 (adaptability) and #4 (Finding the Common Ground). We might even suggest modesty in dress be extended to non-Muslim countries as well. Our rule of thumb: check out the locals, see how covered up they are, and within reason follow suit. When in doubt, there’s never any harm in covering legs and arms — it’s generally respectful and also practical for managing sun exposure.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:24 am
[...] post that shares some of the lessons they’ve gained along the way. It’s called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Travelers. Here is a brief excerpt: Seek First to Adapt, Then to Complain (a.k.a., Adaptability) – Living [...]
November 19th, 2009 at 8:53 am
People also have that impression when I tell them I live in Barbados. They find it hard to believe that I actually work, though of course I do make time to go to the beach, have the occasional rum punch and travel off the island from time to time. I think the tips you’ve given work well when you relocate as well, because things often work differently to what you take for granted wherever you call home.
December 21st, 2009 at 12:53 pm
[...] engaging were their list of the most interesting border crossing experiences, their list of the seven best habits a traveler can have and their story on learning about the drug trade in Bolivia. Possibly related posts: (automatically [...]
December 23rd, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Useful tips. They might sound like common sense, but you’ll be happy you had them in mind when you travel. I prefer your 7 habits to Covey’s.
December 29th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
@Sharon: I completely agree – these habits are very applicable for when you relocate or become an expat. We started to develop some of these skills when we moved to Prague, Czech Republic and had to create a life (including find jobs) from scratch.
Life is about balance – work hard, but also enjoy what your location has to offer. So, enjoy those rum punches from time to time
@Keith: Thanks for the kudos that you prefer our 7 Habits to Covey’s original list!
January 4th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
[...] Uncornered Market, making its first appearance in my list of favorites, lists the 7 habits of highly effective travelers. How many can you count as yours? [...]