Learning to Travel Like a Curious Beginner Again

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You get used to looking at travel pictures and suddenly everything starts to look familiar – even though you’ve never left your house. The same cafés pop up; the same photos taken from the same vantage points; the same sunsets taken from the same rooftop. Yes, it is stunning; however, something is missing. Unpredictability. The excitement of visiting a location without a travel agent telling you where to stand.

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Traveling is not always going to be glamorous. It can look as simple as wandering in a neighborhood with few people and hanging clothes on balconies for drying. It can look like trying to eat something you don’t recognize because someone at a small food stand says you should try it. It can be confusing, awkward, and messy, but that is what makes it unforgettable. Let’s discuss rediscovering wonder in areas that other people have been to one hundred times and photographed a thousand times.

Be Curious, Not Convenient

When we travel, it is easy to travel to the same popular locations. Convenience is a driving force behind many of our decisions, whether we realize it or not. For example, we get in a cab rather than taking a bus with no clear English signage. We stay on the major roads because they appear safer, more touristy, and easier to navigate. But what if we turned that logic on its head?

The next time you visit a new destination, try this. Don’t run straight to the largest tourist attraction. Explore a neighborhood with homes. Browse the aisles of a grocery store. Take a peek inside a school yard at lunchtime to hear the sounds of daily life. We guarantee you will gain more knowledge about the area by doing this than you would by simply viewing the main tourist attractions. The large tourist attractions will still be available for your visit later. However, the small bakery that serves fresh bread may not be.

Pack Lighter, See More

Stress develops quickly and takes away all ability to appreciate anything when you have to lug around a large suitcase. All you want to do is find some relief. Use luggage storage as your saviour.

The less you carry, the more you observe. Carrying less than you feel necessary will help you enjoy yourself more than the stress of carrying heavy bags. This type of stress is not only physical, but also mental. When you are able to walk freely and have your arms free, you are able to focus and notice things. When you are able to notice things, you are enjoying your experience.

Travel Without a Plan: Follow Your Senses

Do you remember walking by a door and smelling something wonderful, then continuing to walk because it wasn’t in your plans? Next time, stop. Follow the smell. Allow your senses to choose your route instead of your itinerary.

Perhaps you hear the sound of a violin drifting from an open window. Where it is coming from isn’t important. Follow the sound. Before you know it, you’ll be in front of a music school’s afternoon practice session. The children are practicing their first concertos. A teacher is softly counting the rhythm.Life as it occurs is happening right in front of you. Travel is much more interesting when you follow your moments instead of your lists.

Take a Chance on People You’ve Never Met Before

Most often, the most valuable recommendations for destinations are found in the people who live there — a street vendor, a taxi driver, a grandmother sweeping her stoop at dawn. Ask a person where they would eat if they were only going to eat one more meal in the city. Ask a person which coffee shop remains open later than others because that is where local artists sit and draw. Ask a baker which other bakery has sold out of bread first because the city’s bakers also buy bread there. We all love talking about our world. All we ask of you is curiosity, and you will get plenty of recommendations from locals. And don’t forget to listen to the details. Most of the time, people give you directions such as “Walk down the street until you see the orange fruit stand, then turn at the wall where the cat likes to nap.” These are the kinds of details that bring excitement to traveling.

Welcome the Unforeseen; Expect the Unforeseen

Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Trains may be delayed. Rain will force a change of plans. Google Maps may be completely confused and spin your little blue dot around in circles like a dizzy bee. We have two options when this happens. Either panic or try to enjoy the situation. There may be some advantages to a delay. You may find a small café hidden away above the train station that you would otherwise never have known existed. Rain may drive you to a bookstore where you run into someone who will tell you about a beautiful beach that is off the beaten path. Getting lost may allow you to try the best street food of your life. Not all wrong turns are bad; some can be the story you tell for years.

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Store Memories in Your Senses

You do not have to capture each memory. Take photographs. However, think about limiting the number of photographs you take. Let your senses hold onto the rest of the memories. Watch a fisherman pull in his net while sitting by a river. Bite into a warm pastry with flaky sugar and smell the sweet steam rising from it before you take a bite. Feel the smoothness of the stone steps that have been worn down over thousands of years of foot traffic.

These are the memories you will carry long after you could have uploaded them. Ask yourself: What does this place feel like? Do not ask yourself: How am I going to prove that I was here? You are creating a collection of experiences and not slideshows.

This earth is not a theme park. This planet is home to millions of lives, rhythms, and histories larger than ourselves. When you travel like a beginner with an open heart, you honor that. You learn not only where you are, but also who you are.