Traveling is all about seeing new places, exploring different cultures and making memories. But many travelers just go through the motions of what they believe travel should be. But I’m here to tell you that there are plenty of ways to make your next trip more meaningful while having fun at the same time. So how can you make travel count? Let us count the ways. First, try to…
Make personal connections.
Travel gives us the amazing opportunity to relate to others. We totally underestimate the benefits of striking up a conversation with a stranger. This is probably the most important aspect of travel that I’ve learned through the years. Spontaneous interactions with others can create some amazing memories.
Don’t be afraid to talk to locals if you can’t speak the language. If traveling has taught me one lesson, people are generally kind and helpful where ever you go. Learning these basic phrases in different languages: Hello, Thank You and Goodbye — will leave an impression and be much appreciated. You will be surprised at what you get in return from being polite and just “trying.”
Try not to “insulate” yourself from the locals by only talking to and hanging out with the tourists. Your travel experience will be so much richer.
Explore by walking around to get the “lay of the land.”
Don’t leave your travel experience all up to tour guides and bus tours. Get out there and explore on your own. Put on your walking shoes and take in the new environment you’ve entered. Whenever my family travels, especially to a city, we check into our hotel, wash up and go out for a walk!
This simple exercise of just walking around is so important. Without a plan or a tourist site to see, we actually SEE more and take in things that we may typically overlook.
Our adventures in Europe always start with an early morning walk. Since we usually can’t check into our room right away, we lock up our luggage and head out to take in all the sights, smells and sounds of our destination.
Try not to be a tourist!
What is she saying! Yes, I know you are a tourist but try to feel like you’re a bit less of one. You can help achieve this by:
- Booking an apartment, condo or bed & breakfast. These accommodations lend themselves to being more of a home. Food shopping for your kitchen, coming home to a living space besides a hotel room with four walls lends itself to a more homey, relaxed travel experience. Bed & Breakfasts are another great option since the hosts usually live near or onsite. They provide a plethora of information as a local that I don’t think you get at a chain hotel.
- Eating with the locals. Get out of the tourist zone and eat at the places that the locals eat at. Shop at local food markets for food. Dine at local eateries.
- Attend local music and sporting events. These events are typically full of locals. Striking up a conversation with those sitting next to you is a great way to relate to others and possibly make a new friend!
Explore outside the tourist zone.
Through the years, I have found that walking a couple of blocks “outside” of the main tourist hub provides a world that few tourists enter. Now, of course, we will gravitate towards a town square or a museum row where all the action is. But believe me, if you walk less than 1/2 mile outside of this area, you will most likely discover a different world. And many times, some of the best eats can be found here.
Also this exploration can help you delve deeper into what the destination offers. And you just may come upon an unusual find that knocks your socks off. For example, The National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. was one such find for my family. Not located in The Mall where most of the museums are located, this gem has become a family favorite when visiting our Capitol.
Enjoy activities that you love to do at home.
A passion should not only be enjoyed at home. Enjoy these activities when you travel as well. Do you enjoy cooking? Take a local cooking class. Do you enjoy dancing? Take a dance class. Enjoy a sport? Attend a game. You get the picture.
My family loves baseball and soccer. We visited the Olympic Stadium on Montjuïc in Barcelona and learned that Spain loves baseball too! A visit to Santiago Bernabeu soccer stadium in Madrid, Spain was another highlight for us.
In my post, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” I describe how my family’s love of baseball has woven itself into my family travels. Read all about it by clicking here: https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?paged=7&cat=30
Keep up a routine.
Travel messes up our body clock and intestinal tract! You know exactly what I mean. I have found that trying to keep a daily routine close to what you follow at home is so important. And yes, sometimes, this can be difficult. Later dinner times when traveling to Europe was a big adjustment in the beginning.
But a routine or ritual is really important in our lives, at least in mine! Keeping a routine is comforting because it is a constant, something we can rely on in our lives. And it is no different in our travels. It can be a small thing. For me, waking up and relaxing with a cup of coffee or tea in a kitchen or patio before my day starts is the absolute best. That is why staying in an apartment or staying at a B&B is typically my choice of accommodations.
Slow down and savor the travel moments.
Don’t fill your days running from one sight to another. I know that for many, this is an impossible task to ask to do. We travel somewhere that we believe we may never go back to and cram everything into that vacation. Please don’t!
Be realistic on what you can tolerate. You don’t want to return home from your vacation needing a vacation, do you? Savor the travel moments and you will be well rewarded.
