The small thrills of travelling
Sometimes it's the small things that bring the most joy
Travelling is full of excitement and adventures, but sometimes, the smaller, more mundane things can bring you the most joy. I’ve made a non-exhaustive list of random things that tickle me pink. Some of these might just expose how cheap and stingy I am, but I’d like to think other budget travellers can relate to these small wins.
When you get a bottom bunk at a hostel instead of a top bunk
Getting upgraded to the 6-person all-women's dorm room instead of the 16-bed mixed dorm
When you book a hostel dorm but end up in there by yourself (extremely rare)
Meeting lovely locals who give you great recommendations (and demand that we take a cute group selfie)
We ate some delicious food at this lovely man’s restaurant in a small village in Taiwan Meeting a great group of travellers at a hostel and becoming best friends for the few days you’re all in the same city
Telling your most embarrassing stories to someone you met 40 minutes ago in the common room of a hostel, knowing you’ll most likely never see them again
Stumbling home at 3am after having a spontaneous night out partying
Getting past the boarding gate with your carry-on bag that is definitely too big and too heavy
Sneaking about 4kg of luggage onto the plane under my jacket because my backpack was already overweight and overstuffed When there’s no one in the seat next to you on the plane
Getting a whole row to yourself on the plane
When you get put in the emergency exit row on a plane (extra leg room woo!)
Being given a free blanket and pillow on an overnight flight even though it’s a budget airline
When you sleep the whole way on an overnight flight
When the airline gives free drinks
Getting a seat on the metro after having walked 23,000 steps that day
Getting something for free that should have cost you money
Going to a super random museum
This cup noodle museum in Japan was so fun When you get a deal on food or drinks or an experience that you didn’t even realise existed
When you stumble into a random restaurant and end up having the best meal of your life
Coincidentally being in a city or town when something fun is on (ie: a super funky festival)
Finding somewhere off the beaten track and it being one of your favourite places
My favourite place in Sri Lanka was this small stream we randomly found to swim in in the middle of a hot, humid day The totally random and hilarious things that happen, which you’ll tell people about for years to come
I love reflecting on these smaller moments that have resulted in many fond memories for me. When travelling, it’s often the things that happen between seeing all the major sites that are the times you think back on fondly in the future.
What a joy.
Love it. It is always always the unexpected things that I treasure!