Road Reflections: Transformative Lessons from Lonely Planet's Big Trip Writers
Whether it's a gap year after school, a career sabbatical, or a retirement adventure abroad, a 'Big Trip' is a transformative rite of passage for travelers, packed with invaluable life lessons.
From planning and packing to takeoff, touchdown, pre-trip anxieties, and reintegration at home, our latest Big Trip guide from Lonely Planet demystifies long-term travel. It bridges your globetrotting dreams with curated destinations, setting you on the path to a life-changing journey. To celebrate the new edition's launch, our expert writers share personal reflections from their time on the road.
On staying safe on the road…
My first Roman holiday
Heading overseas for the first time, I pored over my Rome guidebook's 'Dangers and Annoyances' section, warning of thieves swarming around Stazione Termini. Friends amplified the fears: tales of Romani women hurling babies as distractions to pickpocket you clean.
Arriving paranoid, I scrutinized fellow passengers on the airport train, suspecting a couple opposite me of foul play. When they unpacked what I thought was a ploy, it turned out to be fresh cheese from their hometown. They shared some buffalo mozzarella—creamy and divine. Far from thieves, they were proud locals. Lesson learned: Take travel warnings with a grain of salt, and embrace strangers' kindness.
George Dunford
On travelling with friends…
My first friends episode
Chatting with my friend Linda about New York sparked our adventure. Soon, we were airborne, sharing iPod headphones blasting Poison's Nothing But a Good Time as our trip anthem. Traveling with her was exhilarating—laughing, sharing meals, and supporting each other through excesses.
Yet constant proximity tested us. I snored (she documented it at an ungodly hour), and she fell ill, leaving me to solo explore. Still, our long friendship allowed independence: I hit art galleries while she hunted rare Duran Duran vinyl in the East Village. It blended shared fun with personal freedom.
Jane Ormond
On working abroad…
My first English patients
A whim led me from a dead-end job in Adelaide to teaching in central Japan. Landing in Nagoya, I questioned my affinity for kids—turns out, it ignited a passion. Teaching abroad funded immersive travel: low costs, deep cultural dives. Classrooms varied wildly—from Japan's cozy spaces (shorts weather) to China's freezing rooms (winter gear required) and Russia's outdoor summer sessions.
Challenges abounded: Naming Chinese students on the spot (too many Johns and Bobs), or late-night karaoke in Japan belting Billy Joel. Rewards far outweighed them.
Adam Stanford
On expectations...
My first passage to India
Braced for chaos at Mumbai airport—beggars, aggressive taxis—I arrived post-midnight to an eerily quiet scene. A prepaid cab whisked me away through a city of men and dogs, not the hordes I'd feared. Bicycle bells lulled me; morning brought vibrant sari-clad women.
Bedridden with a cold, I recovered amid Bollywood and Pico Iyer. Venturing out, a vendor offered a comically huge balloon, then a smaller one when I laughed. India revealed its warmth beyond stereotypes.
Rose Mulready
On travelling solo…
Learning to love solitude
In Mendoza, Argentina, a New York Times blurb on One Hundred Years of Solitude captured my mood perfectly. Sipping Malbec, savoring empanadas under sycamore trees, I delved into García Márquez during an unplanned sabbatical amid grief.
A bus from Buenos Aires through a stormy Pampas tested my solo resolve. Yet that warm pavement brought peace, awakening empowerment. It fueled six months of solo discovery worldwide.
Abigail Butcher
