My Travel Personality

MapsI call it “Putting it All in Perspective.” What does that mean? Map it!

I usually start off with the place I will visit. It’s weird. My destination almost always just falls on my lap. Either I have to go there for work, a destination family/friend’s event, or plain old my-friend-wants-to-go-there. I don’t mind it one bit though! I get to travel!

I’ve got a decent been-there-done-that list. But no matter how much I travel, being able to know where I am when I get there always seems to be my main concern. So I study the map closely for weeks before my take-off. I like to know how far I will be from my points of interest, and that I will know how to get back to my hotel. It’s funny though, I still get lost, but getting lost is part of the fun. But I never leave without my map!

Dominican Food @ Beach in Samana

Next, it’s food! I love to eat, and being able to try foreign cuisines is one of my priorities when I travel. I always make a mental list of the food that I need to find in each place I visit. In Rio? Feijoada; Argentina? Asado; Spain? Paella. Sometimes the countries in my bucket list are there primarily for the food experience!

Then there’s obviously the sightseeing! One down-side from my travel personality is my eagerness to see everything. I get in this mindset that I have to leave this place feeling like I don’t have to come back. It backfires because I end up exhausted in the first hours of arriving. Then I spend the rest of the vacation with a sore body, grouchy, and tired. But it’s worth it! It was only recently, during my trip to Indy, was when I finally relaxed and reminded myself that I can (and should) leave room for a comeback. How do you deal with the anxiety of seeing everything?

Salzburg

Finally, there are certain rules I seem to travel-by: 1) Don’t eat food I can find anywhere else (like food chains); 2) Don’t shop at stores you can find back home; and, 3) Walk! I don’t really go for tours. I prefer to discover the city by walking and taking public transportation. Every once in a while I’ll buy a tour if it seems worth it.

So far it’s been fun, and I hope to see more of the world and continue putting it all in perspective!

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Oyster

11 Comments

  1. Great perspectives! I believe that there is a difference between being a tourist vs being a traveler. A tourist takes all the guided tours and just skims all the tourist sites. A traveler goes out to experience life as the locals do by doing the things you suggested – eating the local foods, shopping at the local markets, walking. Cheers to being a TRAVELER!

  2. YES! to all your rules – but I make an exception for chain coffee when I can’t find good ‘local’ espresso! I love to walk all over new destinations. Occasionally I’ll add in a walking tour when I think we need a bit of inside information, but otherwise it’s a map, two feet, a heartbeat and a bit of perspiration all the way!

    • Ditto! “a map, two feet, a heartbeat and a bit of perspiration all the way!” love it!!!

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