Travel Like You’re Coming Back
Gin and tonic at the Gin Library on an unexpected day in Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal
Travel like you're coming back.
This is the core philosophy of my travel company, but I haven't shared here what I mean by this.
I have learned that what we remember about our trips-the stories we tell for years to come-are the things we didn't expect. They aren't about the main attractions, the sightseeing "must-dos" in the place we're visiting. We remember and we talk about the unexpected moments, the connections we made with people, the things that went wrong but turned into moments of serendipity.
Over 20 years ago, my now-husband and I spent two and half weeks in Greece, most of that time sailing in the Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean between Greece and Turkiye. One of our favorite memories from that trip is when David asked two old men at an ice cream shop where they got their plate of olives, as he'd been looking for just that for days. They invited us to join them, with their very limited English, and we sat and shared olives. It was stunning to see the Acropolis on that trip, but the memory of that shared time is the one that still has emotional impact for us today, 23 years later.
The picture above is another example-my best friend and I had an unexpected extra day in the Azores last spring after a power outage on the mainland in Portugal left us stranded. We were disappointed to miss time in Madrid, but loved Sao Miguel so much and had such a great day, even discovering a wonderful Gin Library (they had a library cat, too, which made my whole week).
So, my advice to you-and the philosophy I use when I partner with you to plan your travels-is to always travel like you're going to return (even if you don't think that you ever will!). Slow down. Take the most interesting path-make sure your days aren't booked so tightly that you can't take time to wander down that alley and find the cafe where no one else is speaking English and where you can sit with your coffee and just take in the moment. Travel, to me, should not be a checklist-like that scene with Chevy Chase in Vacation at the Grand Canyon-but rather a series of slow moments and unexpected joy.
What are your favorite travel memories?
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu
If this resonates to you and you'd like to talk more about planning your own slow journey, reach out! Consultations are complimentary, always. And if you'd like to join our community of travelers on facebook, here we are.
