Wednesday, November 7, 2007
The Best Travel Experiences
I read an article recently where the author mentioned the best travel experiences come from interactions with people.* I can't stop thinking about that idea. Many articles mention the importance of interacting with locals when you travel, but this made it seem so much more than that. It is more about the connections you make with anyone you meet while traveling.
When we make connections with other people, it shows us just how small our world really is. Those connections can teach us about other cultures, and give us a better understanding of our differences and similarities. Best of all, though, they can be a great source of humor and friendship.
The travel memories that make me smile usually involve other people; the bartender and other diners at a restaurant bar, fellow hikers in a state park, the locals in a small town Irish pub, and the instructors at a falconry school are a few of those memories. Sometimes the other people are my own travel companions when we share a special moment or humorous experience.
It is the same for other people, too. Think about the travel stories that people share. My aunt and uncle recently returned from a trip that included stops in Switzerland and Italy, where one branch of our family emigrated from. They saw some incredible sites on their trip, but their best memories were of the people. Their favorite stories were about the distant cousins they met and the Australian who befriended them in Rome.
The lesson here? Go out and make those connections. Make your travel experience even better.
*Unfortunately, I didn't mark the article, and now I can't remember where I read it. Many of you follow the same travel sites I do, and if you think you know which article it was, please let me know in the comments.
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2 comments:
Aw Stacey, I'd have liked to have read that - especially after you ahve relayed such astute observations. It just proves that we are indeed generally social animals (but after one too many Tequilas make that 'anti'social animals!)
But it's true. The best and most memorable experiences seem to stem from interaction. They are the ones that stay with us for longest - maybe that is because sometimes it's this interaction that can lift spirits (I'm not talking tequila again), hearten, inspire and encourage. It's these moments in our life that stir the strongest emotions, and it's the kind of stimulation we need to live a fuller life. It could even be this longing for stimulation that encourages me to bother fellow passengers on long distance busses and to pester folk everywhere else I go. :)
Hi Nath, I know, I've been kicking myself for not saving the article.
After I read it, though, I kept thinking about that idea. I would remember my travel experiences and think about what made some of them my favorites. It was almost always because of the interactions with other people.
Thank you for your comments, I most definitely agree!
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