What inspires us the most when travelling?

It's not always what you expect

By Charlene

"Being an inspiration means being the force or influence that inspires someone to do something or to feel a certain way.”

Now that I am finally in Sydney, I reflect back over the last seven months and am amazed at how much I have achieved in such a short space of time. Having been lucky enough to finally take a break from routine life and experience some truly wonderful places. Travelling has tested me to the max, encouraged me, given me a huge amount of confidence to see the world and has pushed me out of my comfort zone more than ever.

Some would say that travel is an inspiration itself because it helps us become better versions of ourselves and makes us want to see more of the world but to be honest, it is just too broad for me and so I was keen to narrow this down further and that's exactly what I did. I asked myself the challenging question of 'what has inspired me the most?' because there are many things that inspire people and for each person it is different.

It's a tough question when you think of it. I mean I have visited some of the most amazing places; achieved some rather spectacular things; and met a mix bag of travellers from all over the world, each with their own stories and experiences... so what was it that stood out above everything?!

Having spent some time thinking this over, I realised that the one thing that has inspired me the most are the people, the local people. The people who unintentionally and selflessly, made every place I have visited, unique.

This may not be the case for everyone but to me the local people are the one thing that have continued to amaze me. Everything from their language skills, cultures and worth ethic to their living conditions and fight for survival - has all been a complete surprise.

At the start of my travels I was in backpacker mode, staying in hostels and mingling with other backpackers and didn't focus much of my time on the people but as time passed, I found that travelling solo I had something that others didn't seem to have 'freedom and time' and so I used this to invest more focus into the people and I am extremely glad I did. It changed the dynamic of my travels and made everything so much more interesting and enjoyable. I started to truly understand what it felt like to travel, as I made my way from place to place, building relationships with families and receiving advice from people who knew all there was to know about everything in those places.

I was really taken back and overwhelmed by the lifestyle of the people and was shocked to see hundreds of tourists walking past them without a single acknowledgement. Yet they continue to do their jobs without fuss and for this my respect for them has grown immensely, as I have learned to appreciate them and the struggles they are faced with in supporting tourism day in and day out.

To survive, they dedicate their lives to tourism and provide the luxuries and amenities we take for granted as tourists... the boat workers, the massage ladies, the workers who continue to build new infrastructure/real estate day and night, restaurant workers, cleaners, road workers, tour guides, market stall and shop owners, laundry ladies, rubbish sorters, cleaners etc... the list goes on!

Now I am sure you might be thinking 'and? we have them in every country', 'why are they such an inspiration?' and to answer your questions, here are some of the reasons why:

Those boat workers work seven days are week, some out of school on unpaid apprenticeships and transport thousands of tourists and their luggage so we can get to where we want to go;
The massage ladies complete massage after massage, some working through the night, some even offering 'extras' just to make a living for themselves and their families. Not because they want to but because they have to. Massages usually cost £3-£8 ph. Massages that help us feel relaxed and pampered on our holiday;
Workers such as in the Philippines, where a highly skilled worker is paid 300ph (£4) a day, to continue building to help tourism grow, working excessive hours, with not enough money to take any time off, so that we have a roof over our head and somewhere to sleep;
Restaurant workers who in some cases work six days a week, 12 hours a day and their day off counts towards their holiday allowance, so that we can have our food served and eat in luxury;
Road workers such as in Bali, which include local women carrying up to four/five concrete blocks and materials on their heads all day in the blistering heat;
Tour guides who work long hours to show tourists around. I was amazed when I climbed Batur volcano in Bali that some of the tour guides completed the hike six days a week, every day starting at 3am. It is a 1,770m volcano, so in total that is a total of 21,240m a week up and down, so that we can go see those amazing views and capture it;
Shop owners who lay duvets behind their tills so that they can have their children sleeping next to them whilst they work through the night, so we can grab a water or snacks after a night out; and
The laundry ladies who wash and press every item of smelly backpackers clothing, including underwear/socks (at less than £1 per kg) and work every day from 7am onwards, so we don't have to wash them ourselves.

These are all just examples of things I have been witness to on my travels and although I know that this is unlikely to change, I wanted to ask them what would make it better for them. It turns out there are simple ways in which we can all make a difference (and this has come from the locals themselves)...

Don't be afraid to say hello or smile
Take time out to speak to them and share your experiences from home too
Give tips (it doesn't have to be a lot)
Ask for advice on where to go as they know all of the hidden spots away from tourists and arranged tours
Bargain but be fair
Avoid the big name chains where possible
Use them for transport i.e. taxis/boats/tours etc.

Understandably, in every country I have been to they have raised concerns that land and assets are no longer affordable due to increase in prices because of tourists (to which I could relate, having lived in London) and the majority of them said they have never left their own countries or towns because it costs too much, which instantly made me sympathise more.

This whole experience has made me realise that across the world, no matter where we are, we all have our own struggles and yet what makes a difference above it all, is attitude. Having a positive outlook, even on the hardest days is hard but it is something that they have mastered and in doing so, they have all inspired me to be wise in my travels, take the time to appreciate and understand the people around me, consider others, respect cultures, build relationships and not be afraid to ask for help.

So next time you're on holiday or travelling, if you don't already, remember what I've said and think about what you else you can do to make a difference to the people around you.