Today I’m very honoured to share a guest post from Liam McFarland. It’s full of great information. Thanks, Liam!

How to Challenge Yourself When Travelling: 5 Things You Should Do

You’ll often find yourself having to step outside your comfort zone when you travel. Some people find this intimidating, while others thrive on the adrenaline rush this gives them. Either way, pushing past your personal boundaries is incredibly rewarding. Here are five things you can do to challenge yourself when you’re on your travels.

1. Try something new

It could be as simple as sampling a new food, such as aguachido (fresh marinated shrimp from Mexico) and Gujarati thali (a big plate of curries, dals and rice from India), or unusual delicacies such as tuna eyeballs (in Japan) and airag — fermented horse milk from Mongolia. Interested in hearing about more strange meals? Read Rough Guides’ list of weird foods from around the world.

You could also try out an extreme sport or activity (canyon swinging in New Zealand, anyone?) or spend time with a local family in a homestay to learn more about their way of life.

Whatever you choose to do, be curious and be interested, and you’ll gain insights you never would have otherwise.

(Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash)

2. Learn the language

Locals appreciate it when you make the effort to speak their language, even if it’s only a few key words or phrases. Breaking down the language barrier means you can communicate better, and even if the majority of your conversation with someone is in English, the fact that you tried will count for a lot. Being fully immersed in the language will help you pick up even more as you go about your travels.

How to learn the basics of a language:

• Be specific. Think about the kind of questions you’ll be asking and answering, and the kind of words you’ll need, then focus on learning those. Which places and attractions will you be visiting? What kind of food do you hope to eat? Is there anything you can’t eat? Go through all the different scenarios in your head to figure out what you’ll need to say.

• Learn entire phrases at once. Even if you don’t understand the grammar or structure of the sentence, memorising ready-formed phrases from the get-go will be quicker than learning the words and piecing them all together.

• Make a cheat sheet of all your key words and phrases, just in case.

3. Get lost

Don’t abandon your map completely, but do wander around your destination so you can explore and get more familiar with it. Popular landmarks and attractions are a good place to start — you might even be able to book a walking tour with a local guide — but don’t be afraid to step away from the tourist trail.

Obviously your wellbeing comes first, so make a note of any areas you should avoid (staff in hotels, hostels and cafés are normally the best people to ask) and check out 1Cover’s Secret Traveller guide to not getting robbed for extra safety tips.

(Photo by Jasper van der Meij on Unsplash)

4. Travel solo

There’s nothing as freeing as travelling by yourself. You get to decide what happens, when it happens, where it happens — you don’t need to rely on anyone else. This also means you’ll face any challenges on your own, but you’d be amazed at what you can do when you have to. Your ability to stay calm and solve problems will get a huge boost. Learning to be comfortable in your own company is a bonus, too.

5. Do something for someone else

Spending time volunteering while you’re on your travels will give you a fresh perspective on life, not to mention a valuable opportunity to help people or animals in need. Alternatively, you could fund your travels by teaching English abroad (English is widely spoken and teachers are always in demand).

Make sure you do your research beforehand — unfortunately, some volunteer projects end up doing more harm than good. Know where your money goes and how the work you’ll be doing will impact the local community before committing to anything.

(Not sure where to start? Have a look at this guide to volunteering ethically featured on Nomadic Matt.)

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Where would you go? Choosing a location as a digital nomad Frugal expat tip #1: shop like an immigrant Airbnb strategies – Part 2: Digital nomads