How my travelling style changed from my early 20s to early 30s

I’ve turned 33 in the past month – this means I’ve been solo travelling, technically, for 10 years. I was 23 when I moved to London having no idea how so many of my travel dreams would be actually coming true – out of hard work, sacrifice… but alas, it just made it all these little conquests taste better. That none of it was handed over to me – not even the travel bug itself, as I seem to be the only one in my family who has it.

One of the magical things I’m noting about growing old is that whilst my core remains intact – my interests, my values, my principles, my personality – the way I experience life has changed. We’re always evolving, never a fully formed being – it’s beautiful, really. Sometimes uncomfortable; but still a wonderful thing.

Lately I have been reflecting on how my travel style changed since those days when I was still very new to it. An impressionable young woman, who had seen so little of the world but had lusted for it since she could remember. The thought of visiting those world famous art museums, of being in the presence of those landmarks and sights I had been lusting over through the glossy pages of encyclopedias.

Before moving to the UK, I had only been to the USA (which mostly doesn’t count as I was born there and made my parents visit when I was 16), Spain (again technically… for us Portuguese people how hard is that), the UK (for two weeks for English school which consumed my little savings), France and Germany – these last two were the first trips I did with my meager pay check from my first job in Portugal. Of course I’m not complaining… but fast forward 10 years, I have now visited (excluding UK, Portugal and Spain where I’ve lived) 42 countries. Some of them I have visited more than once… and I could never ever imagine, truly, I would get this far.

But what has changed in my travel style? How has that evolved?

1. I’m comfortable with “missing out“

In my 20s, new to travel, I wanted to see everything. Every single landmark and museum marked in the tourist maps would be also on my must visit list . But now I’m a lot more intentional – this comes from knowing myself a lot better, the good thing about growing older. I don’t mind skipping highly hyped attractions. I curate my itineraries with more care, more intention. I’m smarter and more considerate about where I want to spend my time and my money. And this isn’t easy for someone with so many interests – who often finds it hard to focus. But I noticed with the years that hyped doesn’t mean good, doesn’t mean I have to visit – and when travelling solo, I have the freedom to make these decisions without concessions, which is incredibly liberating.

A quick tip: sometimes it’s through exploration and speaking with locals that you find the true gems. The first one that comes to mind to me personally is the Pink Church in Ho Chi Minh City that had not come up in my research as a spot to visit… but I did a walking tour and the guide mentioned it.

2. Not as easily impressed

Related somehow to my first point, this is inevitable when you end up visiting as many countries as I have… and I have to say when you do live in a city as extraordinary as London (you might not agree, but London has some of the most stunning architecture, artistic scene, and cultural diversity…). I don’t mean that I’ve lost the ability to enjoy travelling – quite the contrary! I’m still in awe when confronted with mindblowing architecture, absolutely floored and humbled by the wonders of Nature, my eyes still turn into stars when navigating exquisite art galleries… but things just aren’t as new as before.

3. Food now matters!

I must confess, when I was younger I didn’t really care much about the food experiences. I always had a very tight budget anyway, so having a nice meal at a restaurant was something I did not prioritise. I also didn’t like the idea of “wasting time”, waiting to be served. Well, this has definitely changed. A part of it is because I have better budget, another part is that I have found that – and yes, I know this is not groundbreaking – experiencing the food is experiencing the culture, especially if you go to a local restaurant and try some of their traditional dishes. And there is another benefit to it – you can rest up for a little while. If you’re solo, you can do some people watching, or simply absorb yourself in a book.

4. Higher standards with accommodation

I went from booking places with a rating of 7.5 above to 8.5 and above. I used to pride myself of not needing much when it came to accommodation – I stayed in hostels in my early twenties (budget) and as long as it was sort of clean and safe, I didn’t mind. Well… this has changed quite a bit, and I noticed it even more in my adventures in Southeast Asia. I realised a room that looks old, and unkempt makes me feel unsafe. How important it is for me to have a nice, comfortable place (preferably with windows!) to sleep at night. A good shower, without any mold on it… I also used to stay outside of the city centre for cheaper prices… but now I want to stay near the action – especially if it’s a short trip – even if I need to pay more for this. Accommodation is definitely where I’ve felt I’ve changed the most. I don’t remember appreciating a nice mattress, and clean white, well pressed bed sheets so much back in my twenties!

5. Shopping habits

The change on this point happened a few years ago before getting into my thirties. When I first started to travel, I wanted to buy all kinds of souvenirs, for myself but also for family and friends. I was always so excited about bringing something back… until I realised that 1. I was spending way too much money in gifts and 2. most times these were not really valued by the recipient….so I stopped doing it! I still always get a magnet for my parents, and if I see a nice tablecloth I’ll get one for my mum because she loves it. And when it comes to buying for myself? I always get a magnet too, as I collect them. Art prints are another big one for me, especially if I’m supporting local artist communities… and usually when I get something else it would be a small handmade item that fits well in my usual tiny backpack. So in a way I became less generous… but more intentional, and therefore sustainable.

And I think this pretty much sums it up! I’m okay with the change, and whilst sometimes I feel some nostalgia for that younger woman who wanted to see and do everything because it was all so new, and so incredible, I am proud of where I am today – more mature, more experienced, more knowledgeable and therefore more intentional.

What about you? What has changed in how you travel, if anything?