On Eclipses and The Importance "Traveling" Where You Live

Oh boy, another person writing about the eclipse. I can hear you saying it now. Well guess what? Total solar eclipses are rare, and they are truly spectacular. It's a chance to witness the music of the spheres. If anything, they should be written about even more frequently if you want my opinion.

The lead up to the cosmic event was one of excitement and trepidation. For a brief time I considered traveling somewhere to see it, but money and scheduling prevented that from happening. The days ticked closer, but I failed to make any concrete plans. Despite NASA being able to accurately calculate eclipses thousands of years in advance, the day came before I knew it. The entire city of Orlando was bristling with excitement on Monday. I'm sure that pretty much everywhere was bristling, too, but I can only verify that Orlando was bristling.

My last ditch efforts were all thwarted. None of the stores had viewing glasses, none of the hardware shops had welding glasses left (which is apparently a thing), and the Orlando Science Center had a line of cars going on for blocks. Ultimately my friend/Eclipse-Partner-In-Crime Sarah and I opted for the DIY method. Cereal boxes, tin foil, and white paper were the tools of our destiny.

(All I needed for a good day)

It was a remarkable day. Sure, I did not travel anywhere new or exciting. No, the DIY boxes didn't really work. Heck, it was also pretty cloudy. I'm not sure I even saw the eclipse, but there was magic in the air. At the height of the moon's arc the entire sky changed color, and I suddenly I was transported elsewhere.

I recalled being a child, and being fascinated by the cosmos. All the times spent peering into my microscope came zooming back to me. At the same time I was overcome with the realization that I was experiencing something special and rare. It was the same sensation I felt when I caught my first glimpse of Machu Pichu or when I witnessed the sunrise over Angkor Wat.

(Easily in my top 5 sunrises)

The eclipse, for what it's worth, was a good reminder to me. We can find new experiences all around us. Sometimes something big, huge, and exciting is right in your backyard (or in your parking lot, in this case). All it takes is a keen eye and a little bit of research, and you can find plenty of magic in whatever place you call home.

Orlando may be known for its theme parks, but I have had such a great time over this past 9 months discovering its offerings. Whether I am noodling along on a nature trail or holing up in a kooky bar, I have always managed to fill my free time. Despite this, I still feel like I'm just barely scratching the surface!

And this is important. 

It is frustrating to be a person with Wanderlust. One's thoughts are always elsewhere. If I'm not daydreaming about taking a trip to a new destination, I am reminiscing about where I have been and wishing I could go back. Occasionally I catch myself being jealous of others when they travel. More than once I have been on a trip of my own, only to see that a friend of mine is also on a trip, and I have gotten so envious of where they were traveling to. Mind you, I actually travel extensively for a living and am on the road for more weeks than I am not on the road during the school year. It doesn't matter, though. I still want to see more!

We can't all be vagabonds wondering from country to country. We can't all be that guy who quit his job and plans to bike across all 197 countries in the next 5 years. Even if you are lucky enough to travel at all, there will still be periods in your life when you are "stuck at home". However, with the right attitude, even the most seasoned traveller doesn't have to feel "stuck".

I think I'll go to Mexico for the 2024 eclipse...

How Does He Do It? (The Post Where Jon Explains How He Does It)

This week I am taking inspiration from Karen and Georgia of the incomparable My Favorite Murder podcast (Yes, I'm a murderino. You should be too!). The first two posts were pretty easy for me to write since, aside from generally being a genius, I had the idea for both posts while on my Mexico trip last month. Funnily enough, it is easier to brainstorm ideas for posts about food, culture, and travel while I am actually out and about doing those very things.

But I have been home for over a month now, and there are still a few weeks before my next work trip, so I have been struggling with an idea for a post.There's also the niggling fear of coming up with a dumb, boring, stupid theme. After listening to a recent episode of MFM (Only the truest murderinos use the acronyms), I was reminded of an important aphorism. Sometimes in the pursuit of perfection, the fear of being less than perfect can prevent you from creating anything at all.

(I've even seen MFM live!)

So, screw it! I'm just going to write for writing's sake this week. If it's good, it's good. If it's not, then at least I wrote something AND FORCED ALL YOU NERDS TO READ IT!

As I lazily daydreamed about my upcoming trips, it occurred to me that someone may find value in reading about how I plan out my trips. How do I find out where to go, what to see, and what to eat? Ultimately I don't really do anything special, but I have picked up a few tips and trips over the years that perhaps you have not thought of.

When it comes to researching the sights and activities of a new city, there are two big rules I like to follow:

1. Google is your friend
2. Don't discriminate sources, but be discriminant of yourself

The first one sounds obvious, but it bares repeating: Google is your friend! If I had a dollar for every time I got questions like "HOW DID YOU FIND THAT PLACE?!?!" and "WHERE DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THAT?!" after posting pictures from a trip or after eating out at a new restaurant, I'd be able to fund international excursions full time. 9 times out of 10, most of the activities and sights that I visit on a trip comes from doing some good old fashioned googling.

I'll use my trip to Boston next month as an example. Let's say I'm going to Boston in a month (because I am). The first thing I'll do is pull up the ol' Google and search a few terms.

Common terms I would search this instance are

• Best of Boston
• Must see Boston
• Must do in Boston
• Top 10 things to do in Boston
• Bucket List Boston

Similarly, when I am thinking about what I want to eat when I travel (and let's be honest I'm totally thinking about that right now), I may search things like this:

• Local cuisine Boston
• Must eat in Boston
• Unique food in Boston

(This is how I found out about Rocky Mountain Oysters in Colorado!)

If I am planning a longer trip, then I might start googling some itineraries. There is literally nowhere in the world that people haven't been before, and there are hundreds of blogs and websites out there where people will plan out entire days or weeks for you. (As a fun side note, searching itineraries in Mexico City s how I found the wonderful Eternal Expat, run by my friend Laura). As such, you can search things like:

• 3 days in Boston
• 1 week in Boston
• 24 hours in Boston
• Boston in a weekend

Now, you don't actually have to do ALL the things in the itinerary, or follow them in any order, but these itineraries are another good resource for finding stuff to do. They also have the added benefit of giving you a rough idea of how long it may take.

(Searching for Itineraries was a lifesaver while planning my cross country Peru trek)

Finally, I also like to search local event calendars or Facebook pages to see if there are any time-sensitive events going on while I will be visiting. These can be a great way to feel like you're "part" of a city, and can also open you up to some new avenues you may not have already considered.

• Boston events
• Boston events calendar

(This is how I found out about Houston's Art Car Parade)

Searching for these 14 odd items will yield you a TON of websites with a CRAP-TON of information. Browsing through these will give you a good snapshot of what it is that tourists do when they come to that city. You will also see a lot of duplicate stuff, which may indicate how popular of a place it is.

This leads me to my second big rule: Don't discriminate sources, but be discriminant of yourself. What do I mean by this? Well... I mean a few things.

Firstly: I think that there is a lot of stigma, especially in the current age of travel blogs and instagrams to "get off the beaten path" and to "avoid touristy stuff". This is just silly. A lot of things become popular and "touristy" because they are awesome. The Great Wall of China remains one of the most incredible things I have ever seen with my own two eyes, but it is also the number one tourist destination in all of mainland China, attracting millions of visitors per year.

(Not pictured: the million other people there that day)

So, just because something is featured on a lot of websites, or might seem popular, do not avoid it for fear of not being "cool" or "hipster" enough. Any source of information on things to do, see, and experience in a culture can be a good one, and sometimes things are popular for a reason. (We'll get to how to find the less-popular stuff in a minute). It is also smart to get an overview of what a town or city has to offer, and often times these popular websites/top google results can do just that.

The same goes for eating choices. Most cities that I have been to around the world are searchable in Yelp, and Yelp is a great way to get an idea of what there is to eat around you. The rating system may be a bit wacky (As a rule, I find that the Chinese restaurants with 1 or 2 stars on Yelp are the BEST ones), but it's a great place to start.

Secondly, You need to know yourself. What are the things that YOU like to do? A lot of these google searches, and the resultant blog/buzzfeed-type posts you read are going to suggest museums. This is because museums are a popular tourist destination, and a great way to get a feel for the history and culture of a single place (usually in an air conditioned environment!). But, if you don't like museums, then don't go to one just because it is at the top of every single "must do" list you find. 

An example: when I visited Philadelphia last year, one of the unanimously highest rated things to check out was the National Constitution Center. It's a museum that, appropriately enough, houses the Constitution of the United States. Now, I normally love museums, but I did my research and found out that this is a popular CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, which also was VERY EXPENSIVE. I know myself really well (I've lived with myself for almost three decades!), and I know that my love for museums does not outweigh my love of THRIFTINESS and AVOIDING CHILDREN. So I didn't go! I went to the US Mint instead, which was way more interesting, was completely free, and children avoided it so it was a win-win.

Most travel destinations have an incredible amount of things for a visitor to see or do, so it helps if you know what you like. Are you a museum goer or a bar hopper? Do you prefer shopping malls or hiking trails? Does architecture get your motor running, or are you more likely to seek out an escape room? I always recommend trying new experiences, but if you know that you absolutely do not like doing something, then doing that thing in Italy is still going to kind of suck for you.

Once you get a good idea of what you like to do while traveling, you can even do more of those tried and true Google searches, but this time tailor them to the kinds of things you like to do:

• Boston hiking trails
• Boston beer festivals
• Boston taxidermy conventions
• etc

(I like to search for weird things, like giant red-eyed fire breathing armadillo statues)

I'm fortunate enough to be friends and acquaintances of well-traveled people, so I am always sure to reach out to them if I am going somewhere new. If you have a friend who has lived in/visited the place you're about to go, then they may know some great tips. They may even know about some of those secret, off the beaten path activities worth investigating further.

Once you are actually physically at your destination, the best tip I can offer you is to just explore. Travel around on foot as much as possible; don't just go from point A to point B, but meander a little bit. Talk to locals! They always know where the best food is. If you find you are too shy for that, then just keep an eye out for whatever draws a crowd.

Aaaannnddddd that's really it! Honestly you'll get out of a trip what you put into it, and if you spend a bit of time before going you can find some really awesome things to do.

I'll close with a few direct links to websites that I use almost every single time I travel. These are always handy:

Wiki Travel - An Open Sourced Travel Encyclopedia - This is great for just about anywhere in the world.

Rough Guides - Pick a country and then click on "Things not to miss" to get a gorgeous slide show of the top things to see/do in that country. Really great for broad "Where should I go next" trip planning

Seat 61 - This website is run by a guy who only travels by train/bus/boat. If you are going anywhere in the world outside of North America, he can help you out. Traveling over land can save you money and also be a lot of fun

Facebook Events - Honestly, no joke, it's a great way to find out if there are any fun festivals, concerts, or events going on during the time you are traveling.

In Search of a Chinatown

             I love food. Probably a little bit too much. I am not embarrassed to say that 90% of the time the local cuisine is the single greatest factor for me in choosing a travel destination (okay maybe a little bit embarrassed).

(Oyster Omelettes in Taiwan)

            Honestly, how can you not love food? There are so many meats, vegetables, insects, sauces, and M&Ms (y'know, the five food groups) out there to try. Quaffing down bizarre and fascinating foods often lead to some of the best travel memories. The unforgettable experience of gobbling down SIX balut in Vietnam, much to the wide-eyed horror of the other American and British tour group members, is one that will stick with me forever.

(BBQ Duck Fetus... MMMmmmm)

            When I travel, there’s something I do that is a little bit weird. Yes, I always eagerly dive into the local delicacies, but so do a lot of people. I also have been known to get a bit home sick on longer trips and find a local burger place. I like American food too. So do a lot of people. Sue me. But there is a third food culture that I look for in every country that I go to: Chinatowns.

(Philly's Chinatown has a lot of the fun, chaotic energy of the actual country)

            Chinese food is incredibly popular all over the world, but it is also completely different in every country in which it is eaten. The process of industrious immigrants taking local ingredients and incorporating the local palate into their cooking has led to a virtually unlimited number of local variance in how dishes are prepared. These local variances are where the fun comes in. If a Chinese restaurant is going to be successful, it needs to appeal to the people that are native to the town. Chinese restaurants in metro Detroit need to be appetizing to Detroiters, just as Chinese restaurants in Lima need to be tasty to Limeños (yeah, that's right, I know all my demonyms).

(Peruvian Chinese Food is called "Chifa", which is probably a bastardization of "Chi Fan" or 吃饭, which is Mandarin for "to eat rice")

            This obsession, er, hobby of mine definitely started when I moved to China for a year. After growing up as a huge fan of "Chinese food", it was really quite a shock for me to experience the real McCoy (Or the real Huang, as it were). Chinese food (or as it's more commonly known in China: food) was so completely different from what I had grown up eating that it really blew my mind. The flavors were deep, complex, spicy, and intoxicating. Sauces were sweet without being sugary, and no one in China had EVER heard of "General Tso's". 

             Hands down my favorite place to eat in all of China was the tiny Sichuan place less than a block from my apartment. I went there so often during our year in China that the entire family came to know me. The owner lady was always patient when I tried to speak Chinese to her, and she was always eager to offer me her favorite dish (which was pig colons, by the way. They tasted good but smelled like you'd expect). Her two daughters were always very cute, her husband was always very helpful, and her 95 year old grandmother eventually warmed up to us enough that she stopped grimacing and spitting at our feet! (Just kidding... she never stopped doing that).

            My curiosity led me to a wonderful book by Yong Chen called Chop Suey USA: The Story of Chinese Food in America. I recommend it whole-heartedly, and it gives the history of one of the USA's most unique food cultures much more eloquently than I can. I happened to read this book while taking a train trip through Thailand, and it got me thinking: If the USA and China have such distinct takes on Chinese food, then what could Thai Chinese food be like?

(Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the world's oldest and largest)

            Ever since that fateful (and HOT.... oh my God I'll never forget the HEAT) train ride, I've made it a mission to check out every Chinatown I can. By my count, I've now been to more than 10 Chinatowns all over the world. These stops include:

• Detroit, Michigan (Detroit used to have a very small Chinatown, but it no longer exists. I've been to the intersection where it used to be, as well as to Madison Heights, Michigan where a very large Chinese American community lives)
• Chicago, Illinois
• Orlando, Florida
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Toronto, Canada
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Lima, Peru
• Manila, Philippines
• Bangkok, Thailand
• Singapore
• Java, Indonesia

(Singapore's Chinatown is more touristy and less of an actual town)

             I've also eaten Chinese food in Germany, and obviously experienced a variety of different regional cuisines in China itself (not to mention Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan).

            During these different experiences eating and sightseeing in Chinatowns I have learned much. Some of my most memorable moments are as follows:

• Ordering a "Chinabox" in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. The husband and wife who owned the restaurant couldn't speak English, and I couldn't speak Chinese, but we both were able to speak German. It was a surreal experience ordering Chinese food from Chinese people auf Deutsch.
• Discovering Barrio Chino, the "world's smallest Chinatown", in Mexico City, Mexico. It was barely 1/2 of a city block, and the city appears to have set up a dilapidated boombox in the corner to play classical Chinese music 24/7. The waiter at the restaurant was sure to bring out lots of extra peppers and hot sauce for our dishes.
• Going to "Snake Alley" in Taipei, Taiwan and ordering the local specialty: snake soup. It tasted kind of like chicken and was extremely boney. The shop owners were so impressed that an American wanted some snake that they gave me a round of "medicinal liquors" made from snake bile, snake venom, and snake blood. They were gross, but when you're in snake alley and the woman selling snakes is telling you to drink her snake blood you do it.
• Taking my mother out for real Dim Sum in Detroit shortly after I got back from China. It was incredibly fun sharing the food I'd spent the last year eating with her, and she honestly couldn't believe some of the stuff that was being offered. She was a good sport, but was unwilling to try the chicken feet.

(There was much more of an emphasis on seafood in actual Chinese food)

            Food-based travel is a wonderful opportunity to learn (and a great way to justify gaining a few pounds: "I have to eat this weird candy bar, because I'm LEARNING about it"). Despite our differences, humanity the entire world over gathers together to eat and share food. It is an important piece of every culture, and one that is perhaps the most accessible. Do not limit yourself food-wise when traveling. Every meal (and in-between snack (I can hear your judgement from here, stop it)) can teach you more about the place you are visiting, as well as teaching you more about where you come from. Eating food that is from a third country entirely can give you insights into how other countries view one another when you aren't "in the room". Plus, if I haven't hammered this point home enough, most food is just real damn good.

(But I'll be honest, some of the food in China was kind of shitty)

            Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and get a snack...

5 “Bad” Things That Happen to You on Every Trip (and 5 Reasons Why They Aren’t Actually a Big Deal)

Thanks to a number of different job opportunities, as well as being a generally fickle garbage person with absolutely no long-term life plans, I have been fortunate to travel internationally several times. As a result of these experiences, my trip planning skills have improved significantly. I am an expert at configuring itineraries. If you’ve ever seen one of those conspiracy theory movies where the protagonist has been up for 36 hours straight, subsisting solely on a diet of coffee and cigarettes, and has made an elaborate, intimidating map/timeline using duct tape and strings, then you have some idea of what it is like to live with me when I am planning a trip.

On a recent trip to Mexico, I realized that there are a few things that never fail to go wrong. No matter how many times I travel and how carefully I plan, these are the kinks that invariably happen every time. As a reader of travel blogs, it seems that most travelers encounter these pitfalls too.

If you are new to traveling they can sound quite scary. They often paint a most foul picture of some well-meaning traveler lost in a bad part of down, shit running down their legs, all while getting a bad deal on a hostel. To this scary image I say: NAY! Though these “bad things” may be unavoidable, they really are not that bad. So just calm down, okay? They definitely should not discourage anyone from taking a trip abroad! In fact, viewed with the right frame of mind, these 5 “disasters” can actually add to the experience of traveling the globe.

1. You are going to get lost

(Like... Seriously... Where am I?)

It does not matter how many how many maps you download, or how many times you peek at Google Street View, at some point you are going to get turned around.

As someone who grew up in the United States, I am used to roads being planned out in logical, grid-like patterns. Say what you will about the never-ending nightmare of suburbia, at least grids are easy to navigate!

The rest of the world is not like this. Throughout Asia, South America, or even Europe, the odds are strong that you will be traversing through streets that are hundreds or even thousands of years old. These cities were not planned out, but grew organically over time. I am pretty sure that at some point while constructing Beijing, a wizened old Chinese man accidentally dumped his bowl of noodles on the blueprints and was too embarrassed to say anything to the builders.

BUT

Getting lost is not the end of the world. Take a few minutes and orient yourself; maybe backtrack until you know where you are. Ask someone for directions! Most people around the world are friendly and all too ready to help a well-meaning stranger.

On top of all that, sometimes getting lost can be a blessing in disguise. I cannot tell you how many times I have found stumbled upon a cute café or an interesting park I never would have found otherwise. Maybe you’ll find a curio shop where the mysterious shopkeeper offers to sell you a small furry animal at a fair price (don’t feed it after midnight!). The world is full of hidden gems, and you may find the next great one. Once you find it, be sure not to tell anyone or else it will get ruined by thousands of rude, weird tourists. Keep that gem to yourself!

2. You are going to get an upset stomach

(What'cha eatin' there, dude?)

I find that this is what new travelers are the most hesitant of on their first trip. They are curious to try the local food, but they are terrified of the dreaded “Delhi Belly” or “Montezuma’s Revenge”. Let’s be honest, being in a strange country and getting the shits is a scary prospect. Sometimes toilets in other countries are WEIRD or BIZARRE or even SMELL BAD.

But guess what? You are going to have a bit of an upset stomach no matter what. This has nothing to do with hygiene or food poisoning, it is just that every country has different bacteria in its food. These little gut flora, which I like to think of as tiny microbial international friends, are not going to jive well with the gut flora already in your stomach. It takes a while for new neighbors to get used to one another. When you go to a new place you are going to ingest some of these harmless bacteria, and until you get used to it you may experience a couple bathroom emergencies. Even if you stick to nice (and expensive) restaurants or to familiar foods, it is going to happen.

BUT

Think of it this way: if it is going to happen no matter what, then you do not really have to worry about it. You may as well try food that looks more interesting, is probably tastier, and is almost certainly much cheaper! It is freeing to think of it this way. Let me tell you, you haven’t lived until you are in the middle of market day in a city in south China in July and you are suddenly overcome with the urge to empty your entire colon. Stripping naked and hovering over a hole in what is basically a cave in 110-degree heat is character building.

Oftentimes my best memories of a country are of eating bizarre and tantalizing street food while sitting on a plastic bucket seat in a hot, crowded market. There is absolutely no reason to avoid places like for fear of a stomach ache. If you want a stomach ache-free life you can just stay at home and eat white bread and mayonnaise three times a day until you die at the age of 50 due to complications from SEVERE BOREDOM.

The stomach problems will probably only last for few days, and all you need to do is take it easy, and maybe scope out the nearest bathrooms for a while. No big deal!

3. You are going to spend too much money on something

(You don't even want to KNOW what the tag on this was)

No matter how carefully you budget, it is almost guaranteed that at some point you are going to spend too much money on something. Whether you are not a pro at bargaining, miscalculate the currency conversion rates, or simply make an impulse purchase, this mistake is very easy to make. Numbers are HARD. Some places in the world have markets where there aren’t even prices written on anything! Imagine that.

Regardless of the cause, it can be a big bummer when you realize that you accidentally spent way more than you planned on. If you are on a tight budget, this can feel devastating. If you aren’t careful you can find yourself spiraling downward into a pit of second-guessing. You shouldn’t have come here, you shouldn’t have bought that iced coffee, you shouldn’t have taken the extra day trip, you should have just stayed home and become a doctor like your parents wanted, you were always the problem child anyway, why can’t you be more like your sister JESSICA, JESSICA ALWAYS DOES EVERYTHING RIGHT, JESSICA WOULDN’T HAVE SPENT $20 ON A KEYCHAIN… and on and on from there.

BUT

Take a deep breath. It is okay! Nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. Unless you accidentally dropped $5,000 on a Ming vase, you probably did not mess up your budget as badly as you think. Perhaps for your next meal you can just get some street food instead of going to that restaurant.

This can be a great learning opportunity. There is no better teacher than experience. Next time, you will be better at haggling. Next time, you will double check that conversion rate!

It is also okay to treat yourself sometimes. We all like to think that we can rough it forever. We all fancy ourselves as Indiana Jones or Lara Croft, hitching rides on cargo planes full of chickens and getting into fights with Nazis over priceless artifacts, but everyone needs to pamper themselves now and then. Enjoy your costly meal or souvenir, and resolve to better next time! Do not let it ruin your whole trip.

4. You are going to have an uncomfortable interaction with a local

(Wait THIS isn't what I ordered!)

I get it. You have been practicing your language tapes for weeks. You have all your verb conjugations down pat. You have made that Duolingo owl into your bitch. You are SO ready to walk into that convenience store and chat about the weather while the cashier rings up your snacks. Maybe you’ll even mention that you like music or films or stamp collecting, just like in your favorite lesson!

Obviously, it never goes this well. No matter how prepared you think you are, you are occasionally going to have an uncomfortable interaction. Honestly, you will most likely have multiple awkward interactions every day!

It can be frustrating, especially if you thought you were fluent before the trip. It can also be exhausting when every transaction takes twice as long as it normally would.

BUT

First of all, cut yourself some slack! You probably have a number of awkward interactions daily back home. The only difference while traveling is that you become hyper-aware of everything you are doing. People all over the world suck at speaking. Think about how often you are in your home country and you walk into a Chipotle and the person making your burrito is a quiet, mumbling, unintelligible mess. Think about the last time you accidentally made eye contact with a postman, and you had a really uncomfortable conversation where you accidentally mentioned how much you love bees. Human interactions are hard.

Ultimately, if you are able to successfully get your point across then you did a great job. Did you get the food that you intended to order? Then you are good to go! This is not school; no one is grading you on your performance. I guarantee that the local you are interacting with will forget about you within 5 minutes of the encounter because someone even more awkward than you will have walked in.

Treat every interaction as a learning opportunity! You will get better over time, and eventually when you DO have a smooth interaction you are going to feel even more proud of yourself because of how far you have come.

5. You are not going to be able to do everything on your itinerary

(Instead of going to Xochimilco, I made a doggo friend)

This is hard to sugarcoat, so I will just come out and say it: You are never going to be able to do every single thing on your itinerary. It just will not happen.

You are going to miss a train, or sleep in one day. One night you’re going to find out that beer only costs $1 at the local bar and you’re going to completely embarrass yourself and the nation you call home. As you stumble home, or maybe you are being carried? Who even knows at this point, you will have the dim realization that any plans you had for tomorrow are definitely not happening. Whatever the cause, at some point you are going to have to come to terms with the fact that you will not be crossing off every single thing on your list. This can feel like a disaster!

BUT

There is an old quote that says “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans”. It can seem paradoxical, but going off-schedule can sometimes be the best thing to happen on a trip.

When your plans go awry, just go hang out in a park for a while. Taking some time to sit and let life pass is a great way to get in touch with the local culture. People watching is a great free activity where you can see just what makes a city tick. Observe just how awful children are in literally every society on the planet!

If you do not have time to do a daytrip to the nearby town, go back and revisit your favorite location from earlier in the trip. You may catch something you missed before. Hell, just go back to that bar and put away some more of those $1 beers. You did such a great job of it last night. Why not try and beat your record?

It is okay to head home from a trip with a few boxes unchecked. It is a great excuse to plan a return trip in the future!

There are plenty of reasons to travel, but it can also be intimidating. It is scary to think of the things that can go wrong, and if you are not careful you may talk yourself out of going altogether. No amount of planning can make a trip completely perfect. Imperfect trips are better though. They make for much better stories! Think about how fun it will be when you get home to tell all your family and friends about that one awkward time in the train station when you confused the words for “shoes” and “scorpions” and made the ticket seller cry. Think of how, looking back on it, getting badly sunburned and then spending the rest of the week in a dark, cool karaoke bar was wayyyy better than going to museums all week.

Just remember, perfection is boring. We travel because the world is fascinating and weird and imperfect. Do not let a few bumps in the road discourage you from making memories that will last a lifetime.