To ask for help is always a good thing to practice. Especially when traveling. In the up and down moments of travel, having help and support is only a positive thing. Embrace it, and ask for help in the simplest ways. Asking for directions, advice, and company – all small actions that have big consequences.Â
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Ask for Directions
One of the most basic ways of asking for help when traveling is simply asking for directions. This is an everyday occurrence and an integral part of visiting new places. Nobody could possibly know where they are immediately when they first come to a city. However much we like to pretend to be in control of a situation while traveling, we are often not. And that’s all part of the fun.
Not only is asking people for directions necessary, but it is also sociable and immersive. The silver lining of being lost is the opportunity to talk to locals. Especially when the alternative is keeping your head down lost in a map or on your phone. By asking for help, you throw yourself into the situation and face it head on. You forget the false sense of control and lose yourself at the moment.
Asking for help doesn’t damage your independence, it enhances it. Even in the simple act of asking for directions, you are not shying away from the issue of being lost. Instead, you grasp it and engage with strangers and the society around you to solve it. Furthermore, this is a simple act of trust. People usually live up to an opportunity to be friendly.
Asking for help spreads goodness; it makes people feel good. Even just by asking for directions, you learn something new, and they get to feel like they have done a good deed. Everybody wins.
So be sure to learn some key phrases in different languages for when you are lost. Keep asking for help when traveling – people can help you find your way in more ways than simply offering directions.
Ask for Advice
Before you leave, or while traveling, another way to ask for help is by getting advice from other people. It can be by asking for general travel tips or stories about their experience. It can even be by reading travel blogs and finding out the most popular places to visit. There are various apps out there also offering help for travelers.
Nomad for iPad and Trazzler, give travel recommendations and answers any questions tourists might have. Ones like Uptake base themselves around the knowledge of locals, a web community sharing suggestions and promoting their favorite spots, bars, and attractions.
Yet, you don’t need apps or websites to ask for suggestions. The greatest advice comes from those who know you best. Friends are always willing to share ideas. Whether new or old, trust the recommendations of others, especially the people who recognize your interests and goals.
By asking for destination advice, you will go to places you would never have gone. You might get off the beaten track by visiting the hometown of a friend, or a random place they once visited. Your route will become original and fresh.
Plus – when you ask someone to share their advice, they might ask the same of you in the future. Travel is the perfect inspiration for sharing stories. And this is all giving advice is: passing on what you learned from your adventures to other people. One person gets to show off their experience, relive and share them, and the other gets to learn from their successes – and mistakes.
Ask for help before or during travel in the most basic way. Ask people to share their stories. Ask for advice. There are only positive consequences.
Ask for Company
This is probably the hardest way of asking for help while traveling. It is the most vulnerable form of asking, although only admitting a basic human need. Being independent, and traveling solo, is amazing. But sometimes you simply have to be with other people, and enjoy all the rewards of their company.
Sharing experiences and stories with new people are the best things about traveling. Asking for company is harder for some than others. But people all want the same thing – to talk to, and spent time with others. The balance of independence and company is a fine one and can be difficult to find. But being open and friendly is a simple, healthy and great mindset to have – and makes asking for company easy.
There are numerous ways to ask for help along the road. Travelling is also a challenge. Once this challenge becomes a burden, the joy of it is lost, and it doesn’t need to be. Sharing the challenge is the best way to stop it become overwhelming. So ask for company if you need it, even from those you have just met.
Of course, ask for help from your friends too, who are always there to offer company. There are many benefits: a place to stay, a local guide, and the chance to share the experience with a friend. Alternatively, they can set you up with someone they know. You can make contacts with friends of friends, and gain company this way.
Not to ask for help is to accept an unnecessary burden. People want your company while traveling, and want to give their time to you. It’s pointless to deprive them of the chance to help you. So, ask for company – let the challenge of travel become a burden.
The perfect balance
Everything has a balance, and one lesson of travel is in learning these different equilibriums. Being independent, yet knowing when to seek support is a good one to find. To ask for help is a sign of strength, and helps maintain independent travel. This way, you feel the joy of discovering the perfect balance.
