Budget travel ramblings

Local travel and the little moments that you remember

Travel writing and blogging have consumed me lately to the point where a good night’s sleep is 6 hours.  However, I can’t complain.  I love the world of travel.  And whether it is writing about it or reading what others have to say, it’s amazing to be able travel the world and experience the experiences, thoughts, pictures, and memories of the world we live in through the lives of others.

As part of a new feature, I want to share my thoughts on some interesting things that I have read this week.  It highlights stuff I have stumbled, seen on Twitter, or just came across on the internet related to travel.  There is some really good writing out there and some thought-provoking stuff.

So here it is – this week’s budget travel ramblings!

1.  Why I struggle with slow travel – Andy Jarosz wrote a post this week about why he hates slow travel.  His travel involves hitting the back streets, getting away from the tourists, connecting with others, and moving on.  For him, this doesn’t take much time so the idea of slow travel (spending a few days in one place to really get to know it) doesn’t work for him.

My ramblings - Sorry but Andy does do slow travel.  I agree with Andy completely on how he travels.  Slow travel is not the amount of time you spend but the how you spend your time in the places you visit.

I’ll be honest here – I don’t like most tourists.  I don’t want to be associated with many of them, look like them, or be embarrassed by them.  I try to dress appropriately, talk quietly, and discover the culture in the backstreets.  Unlike Andy, I do enjoy seeing some museums and sights because they interest me and it may be the only time I get to see these places.

However, getting away from touristy places and crowds and connecting with locals in some way are how your best memories are created.  Take in a sporting event, wander through neighborhoods, stop to chat with people that aren’t tourists.  My best memories are connecting with others as I shared on GotSaga.

To me, Andy does slow travel the right way.  Not in the amount of time spent but how his time is spent.

2.  When a Travel Blogger is Stuck at Home – In this guest post for @adventurouskate, Amanda Williams at Dangerous Business talks about her frustrations as she reads about all the people who are traveling right now.  She goes through the pros and cons and realizes she can be content discovering places right where she is.

My ramblings - I have to agree with Amanda on this completely.  Sometimes in life, we are just in a position where we can’t travel as much as we would like or see some of the places we really want to visit right now.  And that’s ok.  Granted, my reasons and perspective on that are a little different than Amanda’s.  I do agree with her frustrations about not feeling like a ‘real traveler’ at times because I am not traveling as much as I want.

However, I have discovered that travel is not about how far you go from home but the attitude you take with you wherever you go.  Some of my best moments in traveling are those that are close to home.

In my Travel Tuesday question of the week, I talk about my favorite Fall destinations – Apple Hill and Tahoe.  As much as I have traveled, I could have easily picked somewhere exotic like Paris, Prague, or Barcelona.  However, I chose somewhere close to home.

There is something about having a connection with someplace you have been many times that evokes strong feelings, passions, memories, and experiences.  What’s the best thing about these places that are close to home?  You just don’t have to live them over in your mind but you can experience them again and again.

Dealing with our fears (Flickr)

As a dad and husband, it may be hard to imagine for some people how much the little moments matter.  And some of the best ones you will ever have are  close to home.  As much as I love traveling, I’ve learned that you don’t have to go far from home to enjoy it. (There will be a lot more about local travel and Apple Hill coming up next week)

3.  Freak yourself out – Fears.  We all have them.  For most of us, our biggest fears are about losing someone we love or dealing with stresses close to home.  For Andrew Couch, one of his biggest fears comes from doing something he loves – traveling.  In this post, he talks about his approach to dealing with his fear of flying as he prepared for his trip to Greece (he is safe and sound in Greece now and enjoying his trip).

My ramblings - While I don’t have a fear of flying, I can relate to dealing with things that are not in our control.  Let’s face it – we all have fears.  Even the bravest, most adventurous person out there is afraid of things.  We may deal with these fears in different ways – some healthy and some not so healthy.  But how do we choose to face them (if we face them at all)?

I actually have fears about losing someone close to me.  I fear not being in control so I can protect those I care about.  I wouldn’t classify myself as controlling in any way.  In many ways, I am a very laid back person.  I have fears and traveling brings out some of those.  However, in most areas, it is my past, experiences, and family that are the reasons for my fears.

Andrew is right though and I admire him for facing his fears.  It’s not always easy as he can attest.  However, fears – in whatever form they take and in whatever situation – can hold us captive and keep us from being the best that we can be.  In reading his post, this hit home for me in ways that are very personal.  However, I admire Andrew and thank him for his vulnerability in dealing with his fears.

In many ways, it’s much easier to travel the world, deal with the unknown, go to countries where we don’t speak the language, and deal with culture shock that it is deal with some of our own fears and insecurities right here at home.  For Andrew, it is traveling that brings out some of those fears.  In Andrews travels, I see my own fears – right here at home.

While these are just a few of the stories I read this week, the things that I reflected on in my life were what it means to travel and what slow travel is, making the most of traveling where I am at and realizing I don’t have to go far to travel, and facing fears in my life – both at home and abroad.

While that concludes my budget travel ramblings for this week, my budget travel intentions and reflections on these things continue.