Here's how to travel to _________ for a week! Only have 3 weeks? Here's exactly where to go when you are here:_______!
This is what I'm seeing when I look online and I always stop to think....
What ever happened to discovery? Going to new places on your own without being told? Making your own on-the-go itinerary and being open-minded to change. What about just booking one night and then making your own decisions once you have in fact seen the city and see where you'd like to head to next?
Sure myself, as well as others, post where I've/they've been and that's perfectly fine! That's the fun part of traveling. Showing your experiences and memories and bringing joy to others while showing this magnificent world that we live in.
But there's a difference between writing about your exciting trip and telling someone where to go.
Being excited about your adventure and writing about it is inspiring to others and hopefully makes someone consider going to that country/doing that adventure.
But I do not want someone else planning my travels!
What about the amazing places you did not experience because you stuck to your set schedule of what you were doing? Or because you did what someone else did? Is that even considered your trip?
This is for all the travelers out there, including myself, who book their plane tickets and go where they want to go! Kudos to you all! There is so much out there to discover and it would be a shame to have any sort of regret coming back from a trip and realizing you missed out on something.
The number one trip I always have in mind was when I went to Bolivia. Before I went there, I had it in my thoughts to return back to Chile as well. I saw the Santiago area during a previous trip but wanted to head out to the northern region since I was close to the area by being in Bolivia. But I did not want to set a schedule just in case something special that I didn't know about here in the states popped up in Bolivia.
The time came when I was looking to cross the Bolivian border by land into Chile. The weather was so bad that they closed the roads between Bolivia and Chile and I would not be able to make that trip. If I had planned around that, I would have missed out on a lot. So with no plans, I went straight to Peru! A beautiful country I plan on hopefully moving to towards the end of this year/beginning of the next! *Originally I was thinking Brazil---I'm still going back and forth!
If I had planned my whole trip, I would have not soaked in this incredible world wonder!
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| Machu Picchu, Peru |
If I had stuck to a planned schedule, I would not have had this spectacular view to see for myself. Not just this trip, but all my adventures, in general. There has been at least one thing I never planned on seeing but had learned about while in the country.
I'm not a tour guide book reader but what I can assume is that I'm sure not everything is written in the guide books. There are some secret places that are yet to be discovered.
And travel is all about discovery!
So how do I travel?
With no plans of course! I book the plane tickets and just for the day of arrival, I book a hostel for one night. That allows me to figure out what I'm going to do next. Or if I need the day to relax (I have yet to use the first day of travel as a day to relax!). Usually I stay there or I move on to different areas, depending on what the area offers. My schedule is very flexible by doing this. Which I highly recommend because plans don't always stick and issues will sometimes arise. Always have to be prepared for anything! Safety and otherwise.
I do:
Research the country--customs, history, points of interest, safety, food, and ways of travel. That's extremely important to me. I like to be 'one' with the country and not an outsider. To experience it like the locals.
I do:
Research the country--customs, history, points of interest, safety, food, and ways of travel. That's extremely important to me. I like to be 'one' with the country and not an outsider. To experience it like the locals.
This allows me to be my open-minded and adventurous self. It's absolutely thrilling to travel this way, in my opinion. It's not a rushed schedule at all. It's a go at your own pace traveling style. If you need a day of rest. Take it! If you discovered a new area, book the bus ticket!
You work so hard to make the money to be able to travel and enjoy yourself. Don't you want to make the best of it?
As for the future, whether I'm single or not, I still see myself traveling this way. I'll settle in certain places longer than others more as I get older if (and hopefully) I move out of the US permanently as an expat. But it definitely won't stop me from seeing this whole world!
So with all this said, go with your heart and gut. Make and follow your own path, not others. It's your life journey. Make it the best you want it to be!
How do you travel?
