The World As My Teacher: 5 Transformative Life Lessons From Traveling 50 Countries

I’ve spent countless hours on buses, trains, planes, and boats. I've hitchhiked from sidewalks, braved some scary bathrooms, and wrestled with my luggage zippers more times than I can count. I’ve battled exhaustion and questioned my life choices after another bout of food poisoning, praying to the porcelain gods.

I have also cried from the beauty of the sunset over a volcano, run free through ancient forests, been blessed by waterfalls and danced under the full moon. I have sang over mountain tops, gotten lost in colorful markets, meditated in temples, and stayed up all night talking to new friends. I have experienced many cultures and connected with countless beautiful souls, all who have helped me on this journey.

This journey has taken me through highs and lows, fear and peace, and everything in between. But most importantly, it has gifted me with deep life lessons that can be applied to this journey we call life. I am sharing them with you, my love, so that they may also help you as they have helped me.

#1 - happiness is a choice, not a circumstance

I’ve stayed with people who sleep in mansions and those who sleep on the earth. Happiness is not based on what you have but how you perceive your experience. We cannot always choose our circumstances, but we can choose our response to them. Practicing gratitude for what we have helps maintain a positive outlook.

When I was in Jamaica, a taxi driver dropped me off at the beginning of a hike up to a camp. As I got out of the cab, it started to rain. What felt like bad timing to me was met with the taxi driver saying, "Ah, it’s raining, give thanks." Two completely different outlooks on the same occurrence. He taught me to be grateful for everything that comes my way, not to judge it as good or bad, and to experience it with positive intention.

#2 - happiness multiplies when shared

The happiest people I’ve met live in community. When one person is down, others lift them up without expectation of anything in return. Experiences and abundance are shared, making everyone feel safe, supported, and heard. In the western world, we tend to be more isolated, often fighting for ourselves and keeping things to ourselves.

Find your community and nurture it. Share what you can, and the universe will reciprocate.

#3 - find magic in every moment

For the beautiful places I visited for short periods of time, I spent countless hours getting there. A remote island is only remote because it is difficult to get to. Life is not just a series of milestones; it’s the journey itself. Most of the time, life is mundane. But if you can be present and observe the moment—everything that came together to create the now—you will see great beauty in it. There is depth in the simple act of washing dishes: feeling the water on your skin, observing your hands move, the meditation of repetition, and the joy of transforming something dirty into something clean. Perhaps it’s a metaphor for our own journey?

Be still and relish in it all.

#4 - Trust your intuition, don't buy into fear

As a solo female traveler, the number one question people ask me is, "Aren’t you afraid?" When I travel to countries considered unsafe by the western world or portrayed negatively by the media, I’m often told not to go. Usually, these people have never been there themselves or perhaps haven’t traveled at all. They see the world as a dangerous place, full of ill intent. I’ve found the opposite: most people have good intentions, are living their own lives, or are curious to know someone from across the world. I’ve learned to listen to my intuition rather than outside noise or fear projections. I ask myself, how do I feel in this situation, with this person, or in this place? Following my intuition has always guided me on the right path.

#5 - Life wants to be expressed through you

I used to feel guilty for traveling as much as I did, thinking I shouldn’t be away from my family, partner, or work for so long. I thought maybe I should be doing something more “productive” with my time, like making money rather than spending it on travel, or saving more. But I came to realize that Mother Earth wants me here to experience her beauty. Sometimes a day of traveling feels like a week because of all the experiences and connections made. When we embrace life and are open to all experiences, she flows through us exuberantly. That is what we are really here for: to live life, all of it, and as much as we can.

So go ahead and book that trip—and remember to enjoy every minute, anyway.