My husband George and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary by taking a 14-day Rick Steves tour of Greece. This was our first trip to Greece and we were both excited and a bit nervous about being away from our home and work for such a long time. Travel has a way of teaching you about who you are, what you value and also new things about the world you are part of. These are great coaching lessons for anybody to apply. Whether you plan a trip or just want a better life at home, they are worth sharing.
Here are the first 7 of 14 surprising lessons that became clear during this journey.
1. Use THEIR words: Language is an important connector. My husband is a smart guy who immediately asked our Athens cab driver to share a few key phrases to convey “hello”, “thank you” and “you’re welcome”. George began using these phrases immediately and you could witness the change in the room and the emergence of smiles when he did. Even though most Greeks typically knew English too, his effort made a great impression. I soon followed suit. Wherever you are, using words most familiar to the person you are with creates immediate connection. Do it with intention and see what happens.
2. Thrive with less: Our tour required that we bring ONLY one carry-on bag and one small daypack. While this initially sounded impossible, with careful choice of clothing (white, blue and black) and 2 pairs of flat shoes, it worked beautifully. No need to check luggage, a money belt instead of a purse, and giving up high heels for two weeks was liberating. We moved swiftly from place to place, took the stairs with our bags and never had to worry about lost or stolen stuff. Life is about the memories, not the stuff. If you’ve got too much stuff, consider experimenting with less.
3. Try new things: A benefit of this kind of tour is that the tour provides an average of 2 of your three meals each day. The guide typically orders the food and choses local specialties. It’s often something you wouldn’t order if you were on your own, yet it arrives and you try it. Sometimes you love it and sometimes it’s just okay, but by the end of the trip, you have had some amazing meals that reflected the people, the land and their culture. The experience is priceless and memorable, even if you didn’t like what you tried.
4. Watch the world go by: Europe is a marvelous place for people watching and street cafes are the best grandstands on the planet. We had plenty of free time in our journey and chose to use it at cafes where we indulged in the local beers or a cappuccino fredo (iced coffee) with a complimentary dish of a crunchy snack. It was fun to try to guess where people were from before they spoke a word and to watch families, couples and groups interacting. You can learn a great deal about culture through observation. Add a cool drink and it becomes effortless.
5. Trust an expert guide: As in life, finding an expert to lead the way saves time and money while adding incredible value. Our tour provided us with Anastasia, a certified professional and native Greek guide with 20 years experience leading tours as our constant for the 14 days. She was funny, organized and well prepared for each site and knew how to tell stories that kept our attention. Her laughter was contagious. In addition, 4 other local guides were brought in as we visited each archaeological site or museum to help give focused expertise. They were exceptional at making history come alive and conveying their passion. If you travel to Europe on your own, seriously consider hiring a guide. The Rick Steves tour books (available at most libraries) provide names you can trust too.
6. Ask! Speaking up, asking questions and simply expressing your curiousity will make any experience in life a little easier. When it comes to travel in a new place, it is even more essential. It was easy to get lost in a country where the alphabet is different and street signs become impossible to read. Don’t delay when the answer may be right under your nose. Never underestimate the power of asking.
7. Find the humor: In all honesty, travel opens up many possibilities for physical discomfort ranging from hard beds, strange bathrooms, digestive distress and jet lag. If you can find a way to laugh about it as you commiserate with your new friends, the pain is neutralized and connections are made. At one hotel, remembering a moveable shower nozzle, a non-existant shower curtain and explosive water pressure, my experience could only be described as “wrestling snakes.” Now, as I think about how that shower experience completely destroyed that bathroom, I can’t help but crack up.
Stay tuned for the next 7 lessons coming soon. You can find some of my photos from the trip at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152493295251544.832366543&type=3
