Great tips and thanks for sharing. I have to remind myself that I am fortunate to travel. Many times when I explore I pause to soak up the moment in gratitude. It's a special experience for sure and we have to roll with the punches! Thanks for the read.
Great tips! My personal favorites are Tim's tip to take a siesta and Casey's tip about your meds. I take several medications, and that's always priority one when packing. As when I was young and careless I put myself into a few tough spots with many hours on the phone to my doctor, which is no way to spend a vacation lol.
Well said. I take meds too, and they come with me in my purse on the plane or train. You are right that it is no fun to have to deal with the healthcare system on vacation!
These are great tips, Mari. I would add, stick to your own pace. Some people like to pack in as many sights as possible on trips, leaving the hotel at 8am, guidebook in hand. I like to pick maybe two things to do in a day. In between I/we get a coffee, walk around the neighborhood, write a postcard, have lunch somewhere. For me it's not just the sights, but taking in the environment. A good meal or perfectly prepared latte (which I had in Shanghai, believe it or not) can be just as memorable to me as what I see in a museum or castle.
Also, be prepared for surprises. When Arthur and I visited you in Prague, many of the best art in the most well-known museum (I can't remember the name) was on loan. Most of the exhibits were of Czech art. It wasn't all great art, but seeing the art done behind the Iron Curtain and different schools of art as a reflection of the changing political culture was fascinating. On our Africa trip a flight mix-up gave us an unexpected night in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. At the time I was annoyed (it was expensive and inconvenient) but I now remember it fondly. We stayed in a great hotel and I had crocodile for dinner! It was fun and we flew off to the bush early the next morning.
Whoa! Crocodile! I admire your adventurousness! And also your flexibility--I remember being so disappointed at the museum, and I like that you were able to turn it into a learning experience.
And yes, we need to know what our energy level is and not push ourselves too much. It’s better to miss a few sights than to be so exhausted that the whole trip is a stressful blur.
I disagree with the no naps idea. As I travel home to the UK quite often (though not as much as I should!) on arrival at our hotel/ family member’s home, we do a mandatory 1 hour nap, fully clothed with multiple alarms set. I am the primary driver and have found it to be disastrous if I do not have a nap on arrival. This past year we got to my sisters house after an overnight flight, I ended up staying awake to talk to my sister as we were only spending the morning with her before moving on. The rest of my family snoozed. I then drove another 2 hours and as we couldn’t find our Airbnb house easily, a further 30 minutes around a tiny village. I was tired, cranky and had a near miss accident! Thankfully all was well and I collapsed on finally getting there!
On the restaurant / asking for what you really want : I have 2 stories. First on a 3 week trip to China we indulged in wonderful Chinese food so unlike the stuff you get here in the USA, but 2 weeks in and all I wanted was something European! We asked at the hotel and were directed to an Italian restaurant nearby. It was heavenly!!!! My second story involves a friend’s hairdresser who mentioned she had just returned from Italy. My friend said “oh, that’s my favorite place on earth” the hairdresser responded that she and her husband were not impressed because the food was not to their taste. Turned out they are gluten intolerant and couldn’t eat pasta or pizza. Side note they went to the Puglia region, which is very rural. They might have fared better in Rome with more cosmopolitan choices!!! So another tip: check that you are going to like the food where you travel!!! If you don’t like curry avoid India!
Oh, I totally agree that if you have to drive you need a nap! Otherwise it isn’ safe.
And good point about checking out the cuisine in advance, especially if your have major dietary restrictions. Or even minor ones, like being a vegetarian. On a family trip to Jamaica about ten years ago, we stayed in a villa that had a cook. She made traditional Jamaican food, which is exclusively meat and fish. All my lunches and dinners were steamed vegetables and the cheese slices my mom insisted the cook provide for me so I would get at least some protein. If my mom hadn’t pushed for the cheese, the pickings would have been pretty slim!
Great tips and thanks for sharing. I have to remind myself that I am fortunate to travel. Many times when I explore I pause to soak up the moment in gratitude. It's a special experience for sure and we have to roll with the punches! Thanks for the read.
Thanks! Gratitude is always so important for our happiness!
Great tips! My personal favorites are Tim's tip to take a siesta and Casey's tip about your meds. I take several medications, and that's always priority one when packing. As when I was young and careless I put myself into a few tough spots with many hours on the phone to my doctor, which is no way to spend a vacation lol.
Well said. I take meds too, and they come with me in my purse on the plane or train. You are right that it is no fun to have to deal with the healthcare system on vacation!
These are great tips, Mari. I would add, stick to your own pace. Some people like to pack in as many sights as possible on trips, leaving the hotel at 8am, guidebook in hand. I like to pick maybe two things to do in a day. In between I/we get a coffee, walk around the neighborhood, write a postcard, have lunch somewhere. For me it's not just the sights, but taking in the environment. A good meal or perfectly prepared latte (which I had in Shanghai, believe it or not) can be just as memorable to me as what I see in a museum or castle.
Also, be prepared for surprises. When Arthur and I visited you in Prague, many of the best art in the most well-known museum (I can't remember the name) was on loan. Most of the exhibits were of Czech art. It wasn't all great art, but seeing the art done behind the Iron Curtain and different schools of art as a reflection of the changing political culture was fascinating. On our Africa trip a flight mix-up gave us an unexpected night in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. At the time I was annoyed (it was expensive and inconvenient) but I now remember it fondly. We stayed in a great hotel and I had crocodile for dinner! It was fun and we flew off to the bush early the next morning.
Whoa! Crocodile! I admire your adventurousness! And also your flexibility--I remember being so disappointed at the museum, and I like that you were able to turn it into a learning experience.
And yes, we need to know what our energy level is and not push ourselves too much. It’s better to miss a few sights than to be so exhausted that the whole trip is a stressful blur.
I disagree with the no naps idea. As I travel home to the UK quite often (though not as much as I should!) on arrival at our hotel/ family member’s home, we do a mandatory 1 hour nap, fully clothed with multiple alarms set. I am the primary driver and have found it to be disastrous if I do not have a nap on arrival. This past year we got to my sisters house after an overnight flight, I ended up staying awake to talk to my sister as we were only spending the morning with her before moving on. The rest of my family snoozed. I then drove another 2 hours and as we couldn’t find our Airbnb house easily, a further 30 minutes around a tiny village. I was tired, cranky and had a near miss accident! Thankfully all was well and I collapsed on finally getting there!
On the restaurant / asking for what you really want : I have 2 stories. First on a 3 week trip to China we indulged in wonderful Chinese food so unlike the stuff you get here in the USA, but 2 weeks in and all I wanted was something European! We asked at the hotel and were directed to an Italian restaurant nearby. It was heavenly!!!! My second story involves a friend’s hairdresser who mentioned she had just returned from Italy. My friend said “oh, that’s my favorite place on earth” the hairdresser responded that she and her husband were not impressed because the food was not to their taste. Turned out they are gluten intolerant and couldn’t eat pasta or pizza. Side note they went to the Puglia region, which is very rural. They might have fared better in Rome with more cosmopolitan choices!!! So another tip: check that you are going to like the food where you travel!!! If you don’t like curry avoid India!
Oh, I totally agree that if you have to drive you need a nap! Otherwise it isn’ safe.
And good point about checking out the cuisine in advance, especially if your have major dietary restrictions. Or even minor ones, like being a vegetarian. On a family trip to Jamaica about ten years ago, we stayed in a villa that had a cook. She made traditional Jamaican food, which is exclusively meat and fish. All my lunches and dinners were steamed vegetables and the cheese slices my mom insisted the cook provide for me so I would get at least some protein. If my mom hadn’t pushed for the cheese, the pickings would have been pretty slim!