Words of wisdom via traveling Magda:
1. Always carry a pen. They are not always widely available!
2. Never air travel with an umbrella. It will either get damaged in your checked baggage or they won't allow it on carry on baggage because it is a 'weapon'!
3. Don't show up too late at the airport. One of the worst things ever is getting denied boarding--so much time & so much money lost, & for what? You couldn't get your lazy butt to the airport a few minutes faster?
4. Always back up your info from your phone. We will all inevitably lose, break, or damage our phone, or one day it will just see its dying day--sucks not to have those phone numbers, passwords, pictures, songs, etc. saved !! :(
5. Teamwork is key. You may be mad in any given situation because of this or that, but if you don't help each other out in times of hardship it will just be that much worse. This is one i really need to work on.
6. Almost all babies are super cute. The fatter they are, specifically the fatter their cheeks, the cuter they are.
7. Never forget to bring at least one piece of warm clothing with you whenever you won't have shelter for a while. Or at least a raincoat or poncho. Cold & rain can be such an unpredictable thing. You can always take off clothes but you can't put on invisible clothes!!
8. There's no place like 'home'-- wherever home may feel like at a particular time. Your own bed and own privacy can be priceless. Alone time is underrated!
9. Every time I learn something new I feel like I have 10 more new things to learn. The discovery of knowledge is never ending.
10. Stereotypes do stem from some truth. But remember, that is just a generalization, & you will meet the bad & the good in every culture & location. Personality & genetics win over geography/culture/religion...
11. Tom has the kindest heart I know. He puts up with me, after all......
12. Every day is full of surprises. Enjoy the good ones And throw away the bad.
13. Your activity & your diet are the strongest links to your daily mood! You sit on your couch & eat crap every day? No wonder you always feel like crap! It makes such a difference now & later...
14. The globalized world is the only world that exists today. You can't get very far without seeing a McDonalds or a Starbucks these days. So sad.....
15. Champions league football (European soccer) dominates the world sports scene. Nothing else comes close. There are posters of players & games on TV EVERYWHERE we go!
16. Asians (who are naturally a darker complexion) want so badly to be whiter. North Americans, Europeans & Australians (who are primarily white Caucasians) want so badly to be tanned. Funny.
17. Human life is valued VERY differently in different parts of the world. Be happy to live in a first world country where someone's death still means something on a larger scale.
18. Everyone in the world struggles with stability vs. pleasure. Do I want to own a house in a decent place or rent one in a spectacular location? Do I want to raise my kids with structure or with freedom? Do I want to save up all the time or live day to day? How much do I want to invest in my future or how much do I want to live it?? Hard questions with hard answers & it seems no one has it quite right...
19. Books are amazing. After not reading for pleasure for a long time, I almost forgot how imaginative they can make you. Your brain flourishes and you learn so much. No matter what the topic you can see a book at work with the ideas and creativity it activates in you. Simply fantastic...
20. There are so many great people in this world that are worth meeting. They can teach you so much, inspire you, & make you appreciate yourself & others more. And, after meeting the great ones, you notice the douchebags a lot easier :)
21. A balance of nature and urban are cool and interesting. But it's nature we all seem to run back too, but yet we keep destroying it like it doesn't matter. Tell me I'm wrong next time you plan a trip to the beach, a hike in the woods, or your next scuba diving trip.
22. The divide between the rich & the poor is getting bigger every day & things are not looking to change. It's too late to stop the trend and it will not lead to anything good in the future. Poverty is real and its all around us, we just don't know it because we are (so far) protected in our own little bubbles.
23. The amazing creativity of Asians & rice are astounding. Since when can you make everything with it?
24. It is absolutely ridiculous the difference in costs in different countries and regions of the world! How can dinner cost $1 in Bangkok in comparison to $30 in the US or Australia?? And, arguably, for better quality & taste in Thailand?? How are the world's prices so varied? It's wrong .......unless you can always eat in Bangkok :P
25. Music is amazing! I can't imagine a world without music!
