Gretchen Stuppy Carlson
As a parent, I often find myself thinking about the skills my twins will need as they approach adulthood. Beyond the big-picture lessons, I want to ensure they’re equipped with practical, everyday abilities—like sewing a button or pumping gas. These tangible skills are just as important for navigating life as they are for navigating the world.
When I first sat down to write this of 20 skills to learn when you travel, my initial focus was on the incredible lessons travel teaches kids. But as I reflected more, I realized these lessons aren’t limited to children—they’re universal. Regardless of age, it’s never too late to build practical skills and confidence through travel.
Below, I’ve highlighted a collection of practical skills travel can teach, alongside some related articles you may enjoy:
- How We Learn When We Travel
- Why Travel is the Best Way to Form Core Memories (and why this is important)
- How to Have the Best Adventure with Kids at Every Age
I love to share and write about travel destinations, but more importantly how travel changes us – if this interests you, you might enjoy my newsletter.
20 Practical Skills Travel to Learn When you Travel
1. Navigational Skills
Traveling teaches you how to read maps, use GPS tools, and rely on landmarks for direction. Whether exploring a city or navigating remote hiking trails, understanding where you are and how to get where you’re going is an essential skill.
2. Budgeting and Financial Management
Travel forces you to balance expenses, manage currency exchanges, and prioritize spending. Even small choices, like walking instead of taking a taxi, demonstrate the importance of staying within a budget.
3. Problem-Solving
When flights are delayed, items are lost, or plans fall through, you learn to adapt quickly. Travel is filled with opportunities to hone your problem-solving abilities in real time.
4. Adaptability
From unexpected weather changes to last-minute itinerary adjustments, travel builds your capacity to roll with the punches—like the time we got locked out of our Airbnb in formal wear at 2 a.m.!
5. Communication Skills
Travel often requires you to communicate in unfamiliar or challenging situations. Whether overcoming language barriers or deciphering non-verbal cues, you develop skills that are invaluable in all areas of life.
6. Time Management
Balancing packed itineraries while ensuring you have downtime teaches essential time management. Will it get dark before your hike ends? Do you need snacks for a long sightseeing day? Travel helps you plan effectively.
7. Packing Smart
Learning to pack light and efficiently is a skill for life. Pack what you need, use what you pack, and resist overpacking. It’s a metaphor for simplifying life!
8. Cultural Awareness
Travel teaches you to respect and appreciate customs and traditions that differ from your own. It’s a humbling reminder that the world doesn’t revolve around one perspective.
9. Conflict Resolution
Living and traveling closely with others can spark disagreements. Resolving conflicts peacefully while traveling strengthens your interpersonal skills.
10. Research Skills
Planning trips involves finding destinations, activities, and accommodations. Researching ensures you make the most of your travels and helps everyone get involved in planning.
11. Resilience
Travel isn’t always smooth sailing. Delays, illnesses, or unexpected events can disrupt plans, but resilience helps you bounce back and make the best of any situation.
12. Language Learning
Whether learning new words before a trip or picking up phrases along the way, travel offers a natural way to expand your linguistic skills.
13. Photography
Travel provides endless opportunities to practice photography, from capturing stunning landscapes to mastering composition and lighting.
14. Prioritization
You can’t do everything, so learning to choose the most meaningful activities is key. Prioritizing helps you focus on what matters most without feeling overwhelmed.
15. Eco-Awareness
Travel can make you more mindful of sustainability, from reducing plastic waste to appreciating the beauty of untouched nature.
16. First Aid Basics
Minor injuries happen—having basic first aid knowledge and staying calm in these moments can keep your trip on track.
17. Patience
Travel teaches patience, whether it’s waiting in long lines, navigating crowded spaces, or enduring travel delays.
18. Social Etiquette
Respecting social norms, from dress codes to table manners, helps you adapt and thrive in new environments.
19. Public Transportation
Traveling by buses, trains, or metro systems in unfamiliar places teaches you how to navigate public transportation confidently.
20. Gratitude
Perhaps the greatest lesson of all, travel fosters a deep appreciation for different ways of life and gives you perspective on your own.
Final Thoughts
Travel is an incredible teacher, offering lessons that go beyond the destinations you visit. Whether you’re picking up navigational skills or learning to adapt to challenges, the experiences you gain along the way will stay with you for life.
