Introducing 5 P’s That An Efficient Traveler Should Follow While Traveling
Traveling to places is what a lot of people do these days. However, some people enjoy it while others get bored, irritated. Following are 5 P’s that will help you become an efficient traveler. This ensures that no matter where you travel next, you will learn more than what you have till date. Prepared
They say ‘Well began is half done’ which is definitely true for a traveler. Being an efficient traveler begins with being prepared for the travel. Packing is not something everyone loves and enjoys. However, if a traveler has everything required for the trip then that person can definitely enjoy more. For example for trekking, headgear like caps and hats is a must as it protects from harsh sun rays that can avoid tanning of the skin.
Being prepared physically for a trip is also as essential as packing for the trip. This mainly is a concern when a person travels to high altitudes or places his body is not used to. Certain cardio to increase stamina is a must for high altitude treks and should be done sincerely to avoid health hazards during the trip. Keeping a tap on own health during the trip and carrying personal medicines are also signs of an efficient traveler. One must also be prepared mentally for the challenges a travel will put forth. Climbing and coming down steep slopes, walking in snow, living in tents, adapting to all climate changes expected, are things travelers have to be prepared mentally, as fear is the biggest enemy of an efficient traveler. A mental challenge many travelers forget to conquer is the absence of good washrooms. However, weird it might sound, but in India, if you are traveling there are high chances that at maximum places the washrooms won’t be hygienic enough. Being mentally prepared for this one is a must. Principles
‘Actions speak louder than words’ and an efficient traveler understands this. Everybody talks about litter everywhere but when they travel in local trains, they throw it right out of the window. An efficient traveler is sensitive to the environment, does not litter. Years ago, before the movie 3 Idiots, Pangong Tso in Ladakh was calm, clean and hardly any cafés existed around it. Now, there are many tents stays available around, there are 5-6 Rancho Cafés and of course lots of litter around the lake. Smaller actions like, avoiding plastic bottles and filling water in our own bottle from restaurants, and railway stations etcetera can go a long way. Carrying garbage bags to dispose of waste especially if it’s a big group is another way to avoid littering. These and more such small principles if tourists follow, it would help the environment. If possible learning about the place’s environmental concerns and measures taken for the same can help understanding the place better. Perspectives
Sadly, the kind of upbringing we have, we are made to accept everything as it is. We are not used to questioning things especially the history books. However, visiting forts, caves, and castles can probably question what was learned. Being open to newer perspectives of things known is a sign of an efficient traveler. Sometimes places have a certain image and people stereotype it into one perspective and no one tries to find more about that place. In India, Manali has an image of perhaps a place to be high and chilling in the mountains, but an efficient traveler will go beyond this and figure out places not so known, explore local cuisines, and try to find a perspective of Manali which is not only what is put forth.
Must Read
People
There are no two people with the same thumbprint. This is a sign to tell us that everyone is different. Each person has a backstory and a different understanding of the world. An efficient traveler will always strive to meet new people and try to understand their view of the world. There are varied people one can meet on a travel from policemen, army men, bus and cab drivers, watchmen and much more. The fact that these people belong to the place one goes; their understanding of the place can enhance the learning process. An efficient traveler is therefore good with words and with people met at different places, to learn more about the places. An efficient traveler is observant and picks up good things from the people he travels with. It can be as small as observing someone’s packing skill to learning how effortlessly someone deals with a difficult situation. People met during a travel and also people one travels with, help learn, unlearn, relearn things which help personal growth. Places
It is not necessary to travel the world but having an understanding of how the world is from the places traveled. Usually, people travel to touristy destinations but an efficient traveler goes to places which he finds challenging and wishes to know more of. Being observant of places and learning why a place is the way it is, is what an efficient traveler would do. A place is not just visited to click pictures but for lot more. Learning from nature is what an efficient traveler will do. Spending alone time with rivers, mountains and in the forests to reflect about life is what an efficient traveler looks forward to every time he travels. The cure for boredom is curiosity; this is perhaps why someone started traveling after he got bored of a place. The above are the ways you as a traveler can stand out and find more about places than others. An efficient traveler can be anyone who is sensitive to the environment, curious about people, places, nature and is ready to adapt to newer perspectives when he travels.