If you find yourself standing around waiting for someone, use your time to work on a skill. Doesn't matter which skill you practice, you'll thank yourself later. Go for swim. Build up your swimming skill before you get on a boat. You sure don't want to fall off in the middle of the ocean and not know how to swim.
Every action has a repercussion.
Pay attention to the faction adjustments you are given. When you go to a new area, try to kill things the locals dislike to gain faction with them. You can readily build up either good will or ill will with almost every action. Start killing kobalds, and not only will every kobald in the area start to single you out for attack, but all of the kobald s allies will start to dislike you as well. Also, that kobald runt you have no problem smacking around probably has bigger siblings who will knock your socks off when they see you.