A traveler’s field guide
The 10 Commandments of Travel
A list I tuck into the back of every itinerary I send. Ten short, old-fashioned rules that quietly separate a good trip from a great one, with what each one actually means once you are on the road.
May 25, 2026 · Niki
There is a list I have handed travelers for years, tucked into the back of every itinerary I send. Nobody knows quite who wrote it. It has been passed between travelers for the better part of a century, and every line still holds up, whether you are dropping into the Galapagos or seeing Paris for the first time.
Read them once before you go. Then read them again on the plane. They will put you in the right frame of mind, and that frame of mind is most of what separates a good trip from a great one. Here they are, in their old-fashioned language, with what each one really means once you are on the road.
- Commandment II
Expect different
“Thou shalt not expect to find things as thou hast them at home, for thou hast left home to find things different and new.”
The whole point of leaving is that things are different. The coffee, the bed, the plumbing. If you wanted everything exactly like home, you would have stayed home. The travelers who have the best time treat different as the souvenir, not the inconvenience.
- Commandment IIII
Don't sweat it
“Thou shalt not take anything too seriously, for a carefree mind is the start of a great holiday.”
A delayed flight, a rained-out dive day, a reservation that fell through. None of that is the trip. The trip is what you do around it. Pack a sense of humor; it weighs nothing and you will use it daily.
- Commandment IIIIII
Mind your own joy
“Thou shalt not let other travelers get on thy nerves, for thou hast paid good money and deserve to enjoy thyself.”
On a small boat or a group tour you share close quarters with people you did not pick. Most you will end up loving. One or two might grate. Do not give them your week. And if a dynamic is wearing on you, tell me or the crew quietly. We can only fix what we know about.
- Commandment IVIV
Pack light, fund well
“Remember to take half as many clothes as thou thinkest wise, and twice the money thou thinkest to spend.”
Still the best packing advice ever written. Nobody comes home wishing they had packed more shirts. Bring less. And carry more cash than feels necessary: wifi goes down, cards get declined in remote places, and crew tips are almost always cash.
- Commandment VV
Guard your passport
“Know at all times where thy passport is, for a person without a passport is a person without a country.”
Your passport is the single most important thing you carry. Six months of validity, a couple of blank pages, and a home in your bag that never changes. Scan it and email yourself a copy, so you can reach it from anywhere if the original goes missing.
“The travelers people remember fondly are the gracious ones. And grace tends to come back to you tenfold.” - Commandment VIVI
You were built to move
“Remember that if thou hadst been expected to stay in one place, thou wouldst have been created with roots in the ground.”
This is the one I think about when I am tired at an airport at 5 in the morning. Go see the thing. The discomfort of getting there fades fast; the place stays with you for the rest of your life.
- Commandment VIIVII
Worry is the costly bag
“Thou shalt not worry, for he that worrieth hath no pleasure, and few things are as fatal as that.”
Worry is the most expensive thing you can pack. Plan well, insure the trip, then let it go. That is literally my job. I handle the logistics so you can stop running the what-ifs and actually be where you are.
- Commandment VIIIVIII
Do as the locals do
“When in a strange land, be prepared to do somewhat as its people do.”
Eat the local food. Learn five words of the language. Dress to respect local custom, especially in more conservative places. Meeting a place on its own terms is where the best memories come from.
- Commandment IXIX
One apple isn't the orchard
“Thou shalt not judge the people of a country by a person who hath given thee trouble.”
One rude taxi driver is not a country. One pushy vendor is not a culture. The overwhelming majority of people you meet will be kind, curious, and glad you came. Hold the door open for that, not for the one bad apple.
- Commandment XX
Be a gracious guest
“Remember thou art a guest in other lands, and he who treats his host with respect shall be honored.”
This is the whole list in one line. Travel with respect and the world opens up to you. Tip well, say thank you, leave a place better than you found it.
None of this is complicated. Show up curious, pack light, carry cash, keep your passport close, and treat people well. Do that and the trip mostly takes care of itself. The rest, the flights, the boats, the where-do-we-eat and the what-if-my-bag-is-late, is the part I handle.
Your move
You bring the good attitude. I’ll handle everything else, the flights, the boats, the what-ifs. Tell me where you have been dreaming about and let’s build it.
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