10 Things that Would Make Life Easier for All Travelers
Obviously, I love traveling. I love seeing new places, meeting new people, learning about the past, and everything that comes from travel. However, if we travelers are being honest with ourselves, there are things about traveling that are tough. These 10 things would make the life of travelers, wanderlusters, and explorers of the world SO much easier.
1. IF EVERY COUNTRY HAD THE SAME CURRENCY.
You wouldn’t have to worry about conversion rates. You wouldn’t have to order new currency before you travel to your destination OR stress out about it when you arrive and the airport/train station.
2. IF EVERY COUNTRY USED THE SAME PLUGS
You wouldn’t be stuck having to buy an expensive converter after forgetting one or having the wrong one if every country used the same shaped plugs. And, you wouldn’t have to worry about your hair dryer exploding because you had the wrong type of hair converter. Imagine if everywhere in the world had the same type of plug? Travel would be so much easier!
3. IF EVERY COUNTRY USED THE SAME MEASURING/TEMPERATURE/DISTANCE UNITS.
As an American, I’m always so lost here in Ireland when it comes to millimeters, celsius, and kilograms. Because we don’t measure with these units, I always have to convert everything to understand how far something is, how hot it is, or how long something is.
4. IF EVERY COUNTRY DROVE ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE ROAD
Being in the UK/Ireland, I’ve seen (OK, I have EXPERIENCED) many near death encounters from looking the wrong way before crossing the street.
5. IF EVERY COUNTRY HAD THE SAME TIPPING ETIQUETTE
You could avoid awkward situations and overtipping/undertipping. I’ve been in so many situations where I’m not sure whether it’s customary to tip or not, or how much tip is appropriate to leave.
6. IF EVERY COUNTRY HAD THE SAME LAWS.
Where I’m from, it’s perfectly legal to walk along the street with a can of beer, or to jaywalk through intersections. In other places, not so much. In fact, what’s perfectly acceptable in one country could be very much illegal in another, setting people up for some run-ins with the law!
7. IF EVERY COUNTRY SPOKE THE SAME LANGUAGE.
Ok, well the convenience of this one is pretty obvious. No language barriers! No confusion or misinterpretation! No awkward conversations! Nothing getting lost in translation! Ah, how easy travel would be.
8. IF EVERY COUNTRY HAD THE SAME MOBILE PROVIDERS.
What a utopia it would be, if your cell phone calls/texts/data worked no matter where you were? Backpacking through various European countries for a month? Cool! Your phone will work with no problems wherever you are, at no extra charge! No more having to ask for WiFi everywhere you go to get in touch with family/friends to tell them that you are, in fact, alive!
9. IF EVERY COUNTRY HAD THE SAME SEASONS/UNIVERSAL SEASONS.
Imagine packing for a cross-country trip when every country had the same weather? When I went through Europe last summer, I had to pack for basically every season in my suitcase – it was June and we were going everywhere from Scotland to Southern Italy. If you knew that the weather was going to be the same anywhere you go, it would make packing SO much easier.
10. IF EVERY COUNTRY HAD THE SAME METHODS OF TRANSPORTATION.
Traveling would be a whole lot easier if every city you visited had the same methods of public transport. Some cities have a very easy metro system, but a horrible bus system. Some cities are only accessible by cable car or bike. As a tourist with no car to get around, and who isn’t familiar with the area, life would be a lot easier if every city had a highly developed public transportation system that makes it easy to get around.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID…..
What would be the point of traveling if everywhere you visited was exactly the same? What’s the fun in that? You wouldn’t experience that moment of joy when you’re finally able to count the currency with no confusion. You wouldn’t experience that moment of pride when you finally remember a word in a new language you learned. You wouldn’t experience that moment of friendship after an awkward encounter with a stranger from being a lost “tourist.” You wouldn’t experience that moment of awe from seeing a new landscape that’s only possible from different climates in different places.
You’d be missing out on SO much culture. So although these differences between places can sometimes be annoying (and lead you to buy an overpriced adapter at an airport in a moment of desperation), they’re what make travel so rewarding and great, and such a learning experience. So, these are things that would make life easier for all travelers, but it would also make traveling a hell of a lot more boring.
