I always wanted to be like explorers Marco Polo or Ibn Battuta. They traveled the world with curiosity and a desire to share with others the marvels they discovered. They had no Internet, guidebooks, social media, blogs, vlogs, reviews, or slideshows. And with so much information available, how can one possibly be like these travel writing pioneers?
The answer may shock you as it did my travel journalism students. I plan nothing in advance except for a place to stay and let the place reveal itself to me on its own terms. And how does that work out? I have contributed to 130 international publications with articles about what I discovered.
I do not recommend this approach to everyone. But what I do suggest is that you give up your desire to have everything planned in advance, and that you stop obsessing about all the trip details and trying to make it a perfect trip. Whether you are traveling with a tour group, friends, family, or solo, leave unstructured time, so magic can happen.
Many people I know approach travel like a job, and a stressful one at that. They want to make sure they cover all the bases and don't miss anything. But in my opinion, they copy what others have done before them and check each site off on a list.
So how do you make your trip unique? I call it slow travel. It's not just about slowing down. Instead of running from place to place, you look around you, you take your environment in, you notice things that perhaps no one has ever noticed before. You can start talking to people. Random people you meet and talk to are a key element you cannot plan for. They may tell you about places and events that will enrich your trip. They give you local insider tips. They may even accompany you or invite you to join them for an experience. They have enriched every trip I have taken. And the more you talk to people - even if you are shy - the more you develop the self - confidence to do more of it. And then you are really in the present, having an experience that is uniquely yours.