Patience
One of the key components of making a trip relaxing, and rewarding, as you will realise with time, is patience. As the saying goes, you will learn to travel without "sweating the stuff you cannot control".
When you travel, you get to meet all manner of people, emotions will run high, there will be drama, and things will go wrong - simply, you should anticipate all manner of challenges. Practice patience in these circumstances to avoid making things worse.
Did you miss a flight, a bus, or a train, do you find a mix-up in your accommodation, and are you in an environment, beyond your imagination? Do not get worked up. There will be a solution to these situations, and of course, it will leave you better prepared for your next trip.
Be an early bird
If your travel has a sightseeing itinerary, remember that such sites attract many visitors and at times are crowded with tourists. If you want to capture the best, plan to rise early to have such attractions to yourself while avoiding large tourist crowds.
Another reward for an early riser is that you will capture beautiful photos through natural lighting, while at the same time, enjoying an interactive time with the locals as they go about their daily routines.
Take advantage of every opportunity
One favourite of many travellers who want to get the feel of the pulse of a place is setting aside time to indulge through observation and "watch a lifestreaming movie" as it unfolds right before you. You could do this by spending a few hours sitting at a park or at a favourite spot in the middle/outskirts of a city or town, whatever your destination.
The human interactions, the smells, the sounds the colours - all that is around will leave you in the sense of meditation, and you will be sure to notice stuff that will give you lasting memories of your destination for a long time.
Get out of your comfort zone
Whenever you have an opportunity to do something adventurous get out of your comfort zone. Challenge yourself to try out things that you never thought you could do such as zip-lining, skydiving, bungee jumping, water rafting, snorkelling, rock climbing, and hiking.
If you have problems talking to strangers back at home, take to opportunity, after all, people here are strangers - speak to them in earnest. If you are the shy type - go out and have fun. You can do anything at this destination because after all, no one knows you are out here so grasp the moment to reinvent yourself.
As you become a seasoned traveller, you may want to spend time within your travelling to volunteer some of your time for worthwhile charity work. This is a rewarding experience, where you also learn more about the destination or country and its people as you make new friends.
