Many writers give the advice to “Be a traveler, not a tourist” to aspiring travelers.
What does that really mean?
Well, after reading Gretchen Rubin’s (The Happiness Project) post on her new Habits Manifesto last week, I was inspired to think about some of our core opinions and intentions related to traveling well.
I made a quick list and then consulted with Mr. Jones, who smiled in agreement as he read the quick notes. This was not a surprise, as we are compatible travelers despite the fact that we’ve both traveled independently as road warriors for more than 25 years. We’ve also shared many travel adventures together during the past 17 years, including quitting our jobs and traveling Europe for five months in our 40s.
Here’s our travel advice in the form of a 16-point manifesto:
Take any chance you get to explore the world.
A short visit beats no visit.
Travel off-season or shoulder-season.
Pre-planning research is half the fun.
Be loyal.
Never miss a mile or a point.
Minimize lines.
Chat with taxi drivers and bartenders.
Go with low expectations, and carry a mindset to maximize any experience.
Always carry clean underware, socks and a toothbrush.
Dress comfortably and presentably (they aren’t mutually exclusive).
Go with the flow; flexibility finds fun.
Never let yourself get too hungry, too tired, or too grumpy.
Noise canceling earbuds are a traveler’s best friend.
When traveling, always carry: something to drink, eat, read, capture your thoughts and keep yourself entertained.
Accept that travel will alter how you see the world.
We will write more to explain the factors that shaped our opinions about each of these points in future posts. As we share more, we are likely to update and/or to add to our travel manifesto.
What advice would you include in your travel manifesto? Please share your thoughts (or your manifesto) in comments below.
You may want to check out these other posts that share our thoughts on travel:
- Collecting Starbucks Coffee Mugs Around the World
- Photo Friday: Travelling
- A Quick Start Guide to Traveling With The Jones
- A Girl, A Guy and Their Travel Love Story
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