I like flying.

I like sitting by the window and watching the wings do their thing. Complicated servos and flaps shift in and out, up and down. They adjust wind-resistance and make use of science I understand only on the most fundamental level.

I like pulling inward and listening to music. Jotting down notes and deep-diving into memories from the places I’ve been. Knowing that I have nowhere else to be; that I have a certain amount of time to spend nice and snug in my seat, traveling at 30,000 feet and 600 miles per hour.

Zoom.

But as much as I like flying — and I do, very, very much — I generally prefer overland travel when I have the option. It may not be as fast, and it may not be as scientifically impressive, but what it lacks in flair, it makes up for in experiences.

As I write this, I’m a week away from undertaking my second road trip around the US; the last one was back in 2010, and there hasn’t been a day since then that the great open highways of the United States haven’t called to me, begging me to come back and see the world’s largest acorn, and to admire the multi-hued sunsets and just as multi-hued accents that are scattered across the horizons and towns along the way.

The biggest downside to flying is that you get amazing views, but can’t get any closer to them. You can take photos sometimes, but only from awkward angles, and if you don’t manage to snag a window seat, you’re out of luck (unless there’s a really interesting-looking person across the aisle from you, the transit-photography portion of your trip is a wasted ticket).

It’s also quite nice to be able to see towns and cities that you pass through at the ground level; the same level that the locals see it from. I love stopping for a bathroom break or a quick meal someplace I’ve never heard of and being able to take note of the local customs and jargon and issues of importance. The paper is talking about such-and-such. The lady behind the counter is wearing so-and-so. The food is heavily/not at all/strangely seasoned. The prices are high/low/average. These tidbits of knowledge are important, if you want to flesh out your mental map of the world and its people. And I very much do.

There’s something to be said, too, for being able to dodge the over-enthusiastic security measures that have popped up all over the world, and especially in the United States. It says something that many people would much rather sit in a bus for 12 hours and not be forced to go through that gauntlet rather than taking a 2 hour flight, tandem with a hit to their dignity, luggage-allotment and stress-level.

I like the spacious leg-room. I like the colorful characters you come across along the way. I like the rumbling of the engine and the feel of rubber on pavement beneath my seat. I like organizing my trip from my mobile phone and being able to call all the people I never call, because really, what else am I doing?

I like the billboards and the desolate wilderness and the traffic and the roadkill and the roadside trucker diners, filled with tattooed, bandana’d, opinionated, denim-clad-denizens of the concrete rivers that flow through this country.

Most of all, though, I like that traveling at ground-level stretches out my travel time by a large degree. The feeling that — even while sitting quietly, achieving nothing on a personal level other than the barest, spaciest thoughts — I am traveling at great speeds across long distances. I am covering greater distances in an hour than my recent ancestors might have traveled in their entire lives. I am a road warrior. A priest of propellant. A master of the motorcar.

I am — for the small cost of a bus ticket or a tank of gas — free. Free to go where I want, when I want, and with whatever and whomever I want.

And after growing up in a society where most people are trapped by their social status, employment or fear of the unknown, that kind of freedom is not something I take lightly.

I’m sitting in my second taxi cab of the day, doing my best not to hit my head on the lower-than-usual interior and trying (with much futility) to unfurrow my brow.

The only thing keeping my head up is a heap of frustration, a dash of anger and a dose of Red Bull. I’ve just been kicked off a train with two friends who are visiting me from overseas, and our travel plans have been abruptly cancelled, leaving us with a double-handful of phone call rain checks to take and about 12,000 rupees less in our pockets.

Did I mention that we likely won’t be getting our money back? I feel like that’s important.

Actually, what’s really important above and beyond all the details is the fact that everything that could go wrong, went wrong. After weeks of planning, money spent and sleep lost in an effort to arrange the perfect cross-country train trip, it all came crumbling around our heads with little fanfare but much gnashing of teeth.

I take a deep breath, focus my eyes (to keep them from closing) and tell myself I’ll get everything sorted after we get back to my flat and have a few hours of sleep.

Things go wrong every day, and though it can be irritating, it seems that when things go wrong while you’re traveling, each little paper cut becomes a decapitation; destroying your plans, your cool-temper and your life (for the moment, at least).

The combination of being in an unfamiliar place, spending a good deal of money and aspiring to undertake epic adventures in one of the rare moments you have to yourself (away from work and the everyday grind) is enough to coil anyone up into a tense spring of potential energy, and all it takes is one little bit of friction to light up a spark that can blow the whole thing to bits.

In fact, there’s even a name for this: Paris Syndrome.

This syndrome is seen most often in Japanese tourists who vacation in Paris, France. After years of dreaming about the perfect vacation — the Eiffel tower, the sunsets, the croissants, the art — they finally arrive in the city with aspirations of idealism, and generally find that the real thing doesn’t live up to the hype. This can lead to a myriad of psychological symptoms, ranging from anxiety to suicidal thoughts.

This isn’t to say that Paris is bad and making these people depressed, but the idealized vision they had of how the city would be, and how they would interact with the city, turned out to be less than perfect. The buildup leading to their trip, combined with exhaustion and unfamiliar territory is what brings about the different mental effects.

And this isn’t limited to Japanese folk visiting France. A brand of Paris Syndrome can overtake anyone who hits the road with visions of adventure and epic experiences that don’t come to pass. There are, however, a few things you can do to make sure that you don’t fall prey to this debilitating trend and still get the most out of your trip possible.

First, try not to plan every moment of every day.

For most people, the stress of travel is directing correlated with how much of their trip is planned out. If you have each hour accounted for, you have a lot of opportunities for things to go wrong. If you have a general framework instead, though, you’ll find that you’re much more capable of rolling with the punches and taking opportunities as they arise.

This also means you’re much less likely to freak out about overlooking some portion of the agenda…if something better comes long beforehand, why would you complain about not adhering to the schedule?

Second, remember that travel advertising is idealized.

The strange thing is that it’s generally underwhelming in terms of showing the actual potential-awesomeness you can experience while traveling, but it does tend to focus on making everything seem pristine and perfect…much different from the real life you live day-to-day.

Do not expect all of your problems to go away simply because you’ve changed locations, and do not expect the place you visit not to have the same day-to-day issues. If you can get past this, though, you will be much more capable of seeing all the good (and generally unadvertised) benefits of wherever it is you visit, which is the real fun stuff anyway.

Finally, look at hurdles thrown in your path as opportunities.

Our train trip was ruined, sure, but it gave us the opportunity to reevaluate our plans. If we aren’t on the other side of the country tomorrow, what will we do instead? Can we reschedule the trip, and partake in some local adventures until then? Is this really the end of the world?

For us, it turned out that it wasn’t. We made new plans with new people, and the plans we had previously made we rescheduled for a week later, a time that made more sense for everyone anyway. After a few minutes of clear thinking, we had a new plan to get excited about.

Don’t get pulled down by Paris Syndrome, Bangkok Syndrome, New York Syndrome, or any other syndrome that is ready to ruin your trip. Stay flexible, be realistic and view hurdles as launchpads, and you’ll be just fine.

In the United States, we place a great deal of significance in the cars we drive. Our sense of independence and focus on standing out as individuals pushes us toward having the freedom and prestige that comes with owning a car, and owning one that says something about the person driving it. Even those who don’t own cars tend to do so in a way that expresses something about them: “I’m riding this bike because I’m such-and-such,” or “I’m walking because I’m a so-and-so.”

This yardstick translates well from country to country.

On the South Island of New Zealand, you find a lot of very sturdy, hardy cars that can churn through the steepest pile of rubble or wade through water that comes up to the windshield. This penchant for practical vehicles mirrors the locals’ approach to problems: “This is a problem, I’m going to solve it, get me my tools. If you can’t find the tools, I’ll use my hands.”

I’m currently living in Kolkata, India, and the transportation system here speaks volumes about the local cultures, especially in regards to the sheer variety that call this city their home.

There are big, fancy cars, of course, but there are also rundown older cars, with cobbled-on doors and hubcabs of differing styles and levels of quality. There are formations of bulbous, yellow taxis occupying the roads, weaving around the cities and backcountry in chaotic patterns.

Then there are the buses, packed to the brim with writing arms and legs and the owners of said limbs, lumbering through intersections and pulling over seemingly at random. Filling the space between the cars are contingents of scooters and motorbikes, swerving dangerously into any open crack in traffic, sometimes carrying 2 or 3 or 4 people on one seat.

Then there are the rickshaws.

Weaving around with a scooter-motor and three-wheels are the auto-rickshaws (or ‘autos,’ as the locals call them). With their bright green and yellow coloration and sputtering engines, they’re another ever-present site on the Kolkata streets. Next are the bike-rickshaws, followed by the plain-old human-powered rickshaws, intended to allow a man to pull a man (or two) short distances cheaply.

Each and every mode of transportation represents a different aspect of society, and does so with great metaphorical (but also sometimes literal) accuracy.

The fancy cars — be they thick-plated sedans or looming Land Rovers — are driven by the elite of the country; the moneyed few who are able to afford not just the car, but the petrol to fill it with and a place to keep it (not to mention the perpetual car washes that are necessary to keep it clean on the dirty Indian roads). Some people drive themselves, but many are guided by hired drivers; another expense that limit the number of people who are able to afford the luxury of a privately-owned car.

The rundown older cars tend to be driven by the small middle class in Kolkata, or by groups of people (like families) who pool their resources in order to maintain their mobility.

The taxis bear both rich and middle class, though the poor tend to avoid them, as the prices keep going up, and there are so many other modes of transport available. For their part, taxis in Kolkata tend to be driven by a class just below those who are able to ride in them.

Buses and motorbikes tend to be the main mode of transport for the vox populi, and both display the downsides that go with that level of society as well: either you risk your life to shuttle between the big-wigs, unnoticed, or you cram yourself into a crowd, just another nameless face in a sea of nameless faces.

The rickshaws — auto and otherwise — are the bottom-rung way to travel in Kolkata, though depending on what part of town they’re in, you might find wealthier people hopping on to take a tour or get home faster, if a taxi isn’t available, or won’t drive them such a short distance. In either case, the options are more limited, as they are for the poorer people in this city.

Pay attention to what options are available next time you land in a new country: you can learn a lot about a culture just by paying attention to how they get around

I had never seen unabashed littering until I moved to Argentina.

Sure, I had seen people throw candy bar wrappers on the ground. Maybe they’d leave their styrofoam cup on the park bench when they left. And smokers, well, smokers just toss their spent butts wherever they like.

But until I landed in Buenos Aires, all the litterers I had seen at least had the conscience to look ashamed for what they were doing. A quick glance around to see if they were being judged by other pedestrians. A slight grimace as they committed their crime, as they got a little pat on on the head from their shoulder devil (while the shoulder angel gently wept over their actions).

In BsA, however, people would just toss whatever they had in their hands on the ground without missing a beat. If it was no longer useful to them, with a flick of the wrist it was no longer their problem. “Let’s let the city handle that one, shall we?” they seem to say, as they confidently stride off to go about their day, crime against nature and society not even forgotten, because it never even registered as something they should be concerned about.

Now that I live in Kolkata, I can tell you something about this part of India: Buenos Aires has nothing on the locals when it comes to littering. But I guess they have a few advantages.

First, and most obvious, is the fact that India’s population in ridiculously high. You get 1.4 billion people together in one place and you’re bound to produce a lot of waste.

Second, the government clears some streets, but not all, and not as regularly as one would hope. This leads to rapid trash accumulation.

Finally, Buenos Aires is a large city — one that is often called the ‘Paris of South America’ — while Kolkata is a smaller (well, smaller for India), less metropolitan city. That means people are much less likely to keep up aires when it comes to keeping their streets looking presentable.

I know in saying all this that my standards are skew from growing up in the US during the 80′s, 90′s and 21st century. The first decades, in fact, where the streets of San Francisco weren’t just as littered as those in Buenos Aires. What happened?

In the late-70′s and early-80′s, the US decided it was spending way too much money cleaning up litter every year, and that the damage being caused (in litter-related car accidents, and to the environment) were unacceptable. A huge campaign and series of litter-laws went into effect, and those who once believed littering was a ‘God-given right’ came to regard it as a dirty, low-class thing to do. Texas was the last to conform, but was finally won over by the now-famous ‘Don’t Mess With Texas’ slogan.

This kind of litter-revolution has yet to happen in India, and with good reason.

India is a country that is just now starting to grow the middle class in a measurable way. The population is growing faster than anyone would have predicted, and there are so many basic problems (sanitation, the availability of clean water and shelter, child labor, etc) that need to be handled, keeping the streets looking nice and clean understandably takes a back burner in the population consciousness as a must-handle agenda-item.

That being said, I do tend to think that cleaning up the landscape would lead to a lot of positive benefits, and perhaps some that would help propel the country’s major goals forward with greater force.

At the moment, many of the countries major landmarks and tourist attractions are falling apart and covered in filth. Natural wonders are dying, destroyed or poisoned by pollution, and diseases run rampant due to the poor sanitary conditions. Removing the thick layers of styrofoam plates and paper cups and candy wrappers from the ground would help with this, leading to an increase in tourism, an improvement in local sanitation, and better-preserved national assets.

Establishing stricter litter laws would also improve the nation’s not-insiginificant image problem, which has led to difficulties in getting international funding for local businesses, and a general dissatisfaction by the population regarding a governing class that they see as pocketing tax payments, rather than using it to clean up the streets and improve their cities.

Sometimes it’s the little things that can make a city magical, and I’m hoping that sometime in the near-future Kolkata will enact a few small litter laws so that its magic sticks around for a long, long time.

You’re walking around your new digs — a relatively-clean hotel, or maybe a flat you’re renting for a few weeks near the center of town — and you see it.

The perfect photo opportunity.

You run up to the group of locals who make up the composition and lean in next to them, stretch out your arm to its full length and snap a photo with them. Or you hand off the camera to a friend or bystander and have them take the photo for you. Either way, you may have just stolen someone’s soul.

It may not seem that way to you, of course. Where you come from, it may be a compliment for someone to want to take a photo with you. It implies that you’re worth being seen with, and that showing up on Facebook together can only be good for everyone’s social status. Win-win. Snap away.

When you’re overseas, however, you may want to take a few things into consideration before you start shooting willy-nilly, especially if you’re looking to avoid offending locals and potentially breaking laws. There are all kinds of laws (governmental and religious), social norms and local taboos that could get in the way of your most elegant compositions, and knowing this, it’s important that you always ask before photographing anyone, anywhere.

Some important things to know:

1. In some cities, photography is frowned upon in public spaces, or in anything that could be construed as a shopping in environment. In Kolkata, India, for example, you’d be hard-pressed to find a mall that isn’t plastered with ‘No Photography’ signs, which includes the food courts, stores and spaces in between. Rush into a group photo at one of these malls, and you’re likely to find yourself kicked out and/or banned.
2. In some cultures, having your photo taken is inappropriate, or even sacrilegious. The Amish, for example, adhere to a religion that prohibits ‘graven images,’ and so photographing them is considered a big no-no. Muslims have a similar adherence, though theirs generally manifests within their holy buildings, like mosques. As a result, it’s a very good idea to ask before you photograph people, as doing so may unintentionally offend their faith, which definitely won’t make you any new friends.
3. Some groups have cultural taboos related to photography that involves pregnancy, sickness or the recently deceased. The Aboriginals of Africa, for example, consider it a big faux pas to view photos of the recently dead, lest those still alive should be met with a great deal of pain from the recent passing. The Akha of Thailand, on the other hand, fear that if a photo is taken of a pregnant woman, the spirit of the child will be attached to the photo (which would obviously not be ideal).
4. There are some cases in which it’s wildly inappropriate to photograph certain members of society. In Arabic countries, for example, it could be quite dangerous to your health to photograph a woman. In many countries, it’s illegal to photograph anyone involved with the military or government, and in some cases religious duties, as well.
5. It’s important to remember, too, that sometimes you just don’t want to be photographed, especially by a stranger. Unless you’re a celebrity or have dramatic hair or tattoos, it’s unlikely you get frequent requests from passersby to be photographed with you, so that concept of someone you don’t know wanting to come up and pose with you for a photo (that they’re going to do who-knows-what with) is an uncomfortable proposition. Maybe you’re not feeling well that day, or maybe your train of thought was interrupted by them coming up to you with their camera and unfamiliar language.

Whatever the case may be, it’s a good idea to ask permission before you start photographing someone, or photographing yourself with someone. Make a habit of this and you shouldn’t have any trouble. Be friendly and understanding if someone tells you ‘no,’ as well. It may be tempting to snap a shot of them anywhere and then run away, but be respectful to locals and they will be respectful to you; do otherwise, and don’t be surprised if they do otherwise, as well.

Not only will it help you avoid potentially ruining someone’s day (or defiling them in some way), but it’s also just a sign of respect that one civilized person gives to another civilized person. You wouldn’t walk up to them and take their wallet, and you shouldn’t walk up to them and take their image.

With Thanksgiving, the holidays and the New Year all a stone’s throw away, the winter season is a great opportunity to take a vacation, to escape work and the incremental stress of quotidian affairs to someplace calmer, more relaxing and possibly exotic.

For the lucky few, it’s jetting off to an exotic country, a week-long ocean cruise or an amazing attraction like the Grand Canyon. It’s the beach, the mountains, or if you live in a place like California, both.

Yet, if you’re strapped for cash this season or are simply looking to be a little offbeat with your free time, it’s entirely possible to have a vacation right at home, or a “staycation” if you’re looking to be all snazzy about it. The staycation is a great way to save money and to experience a place you already know so well with a new, fresh pair of eyes.

I’m a huge fan of the staycation model – thinking of creative, innovative ways to explore areas and activities in and around one’s current residence. Since I’ll be starting a new job soon and won’t likely be taking much vacation time this winter, I began thinking of a few ways to have a staycation. Here’s are four ideas that I came up with:

1. Attend an Independent Film or Look into Film Tours

I recently went to the Reel Rock Film Tour, a rock climbing, mountaineering and general outdoor film festival sponsored by North Face and Windstopper. That night, I hung out with a friend I don’t normally get to see, I discovered a new independent theater in the Boston area, and I got to see a new, quirky side of the Boston outdoor community.

Look into your local town or city’s independent theaters and check the schedule to see if anything interesting is coming up.

2. Host a Friend.

A couple of weeks ago, one of my college friends came through Boston. Hosting someone in your city is a great opportunity to showcase your home—through tourist attractions, quirky restaurants, fun walks and neighborhoods. My friend spend the majority of the day walking through different areas of downtown Boston, something I wouldn’t normally do on my own, or with my friends that live here.

Think about tourist attractions or other iconic spots in your town or city that you haven’t been to in a while—if ever—and check them out! Have you ever been to the art or science museum? Those are good places to start.

3. Throw an International Cuisine Dinner Party

I’m all about dinner parties. Sharing a home-cooked meal with close friends—or with new people you’re trying to get to know—is a fun and simple way to spend an evening. It can also be a great opportunity to scratch the travel itch.

For example, let’s say you’ve been planning a trip to Spain, but won’t be able to go until sometime next year. Throw a party full of tapas, Spanish music and table wine. For inspiration, check out Destination Dinners, a company that makes throwing these kind of meals a lot easier. The Korean food package looks particularly delectable.

4. Become an Armchair Traveler

A couple of months ago, I quit my job as an international cost-of-living surveyor, a job that took me to 50+ countries over the last three years. As you might imagine, I’m already starting to think about the next time I’ll be able to travel. To satiate that desire in the meantime, I recently purchased a number of books from my local bookstore’s travel section.

Armchair traveling, or reading books about travel, is a great way to let the mind escape. If you’re looking for inspiration, I’d start with authors like Pico Iyer, Paul Theroux or Bill Bryson, each of whom are prolific travelers with their own unique way of expressing their travels.

You can also rent foreign films or watch movies about travel, and if you’re a computer nut like me, there are plenty of travel blogs like this one. If anything, the content archives of this site provide enough articles to at least get you through a week or two!

What other staycation tips would you add to this list?

[image via Evil Yoda]

Recently I flew American Airlines as a paid passenger for the very first time. You would have figured that at some point over the past nine years of me traveling bi-coastally that the airline, which not too long ago was the country’s largest, would have had the cheapest fare and had me booking a ticket.

Luckily on this particular trip I had the ability to fly AA both domestically and internationally as I made my way from Los Angeles through Miami and onto Aruba to stay with the new IGATA member the Aruba Marriott.

Truth be told, it’s been quite a while since I’ve flown an airline as a paid passenger and I was looking forward to the experience. There was no waiting around hoping that someone wouldn’t show up or praying that passengers booked on the later flight didn’t show up early trying to get to their destination sooner. I was booked, I had seats, I was ready to go.

I arrived at LAX at 6:40am for an 8:40am departure to Miami because I wanted to ensure I had plenty of time to spare after checking in, checking a bag and heading up to the security checkpoint. Once I walked into the terminal I was quickly directed to a self-service checkin kiosk which worked flawlessly. I was able to check-in for my flight, swipe my passport so the airline can collect my information for my Aruba flight, view and change my seat selections and even check my bag. Once my boarding passes printed, the screen instructed me to head over to a “Bag Drop” location where I would be able to hand over my bag which I wanted to check. The line was only about 10 passengers deep but seemed to be moving quite quickly. Once I got to be about number 7 in line an AA representative pulled me aside and asked how I paid for my checked bag, and if it was by credit card. I informed him that in fact, it was free, since I am traveling internationally. He pulled me out of line, looked up my reservation on his handheld computer.. printed out a bag tag, tagged my bag and told me to bring it right over to the TSA checkpoint.

I was impressed. I’m not quite sure how or why I was selected but it made the process easier on myself. (Just a note: throughout this process no one knew I was a crewmember for another airline. Usually, when other airline crew/employees know that they have a fellow airline employee around we tend to ‘take care’ of each other. I wasn’t receiving or seeking any of that.)

The security checkpoint at LAX Terminal 4 moved very quickly. The agents, though notairline employees, were very friendly and conversational. It was a great experience.

Once through the checkpoint, I headed over to the gate and waited to board. It shows that AA values their frequent fliers as they have a “Priority AAccess” line to board the aircraft through at any time during the boarding process. In fact, they also have a designated check-in area near the ticket counters.

I boarded the 767-300 and was great by a very friendly flight attendant who was ensuring we all went down the correct aisles as to not slow down the process. Once seated, I found that I had a blanket, as did everyone else. I was a bit shocked. I didn’t think anyone gave out free blankets anymore.

Once inflight and the beverage service began I learned that, like most other airlines, AA charges for food in the main cabin. But, something that does set them apart is the fact that they have both Pepsi and Coke products. Another plus! I’m a huge Pepsi fan and I can only remember one other airline that carried it and America West is no longer in business. It was great that passengers get their preferred choice. I asked the flight attendant about the duel products and she said most everyone selects Coke and she rarely serves Pepsi. Interesting.

I arrived into Miami on time, had a few moments to walk around and grab something to eat and headed over to my gate for Aruba. We boarded on time, left on time, and once again had an amazing inflight crew.

Heading home, however, was a bit of a different story. Though there were a couple seat duplications we managed to push away from the gate on time and arrived in Miami a few minutes early.

My flight to Los Angeles, well, that’s another story. After a lightening strike delayed push back for an hour, we needed more fuel. We waited for about another hour before they showed up, and then by then, another lightening strike delayed us another half hour. All spent on the plane.

We were, however, allowed to deplane if wanted (per the new regulations) and the crew was amazing in how they handled the situation.

How has your recent experiences on American rated?

We all know that when we’re traveling it can be hard to put everything it is that we see and do and experience into words. And so, with the help of some people like Robert Louis Stevenson, Lin Yutang, and a few others, I’ve captured all that travel is in their words and then expanded upon them in my own.

I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.  I travel for travel’s sake.  The great affair is to move.  ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Just like reaching our goals and destinations in life, travel works the same… it’s not always about going from A to B – it’s about the journey, the process, the state of being as we’re doing and going. To move is to grow, to change, to see, to experience – and in essence, in doing so, you’re also living for life’s sake. If the great affair is to move, then sitting still is for the mundane minds.

When exploring the world you go to street markets not just to try the food, but to experience the culture, to walk amongst the locals, to see things you’ve never seen before, to step on a road you’ve never walked upon before. When visiting new towns and old towns it does not matter which of the two it is for you’ll always see it with different eyes given where you’ve been in life and where you are in that present moment in life.

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.  ~Lin Yutang

Just last night I was walking along the beach under the night sky when I said to my best friend, “You know what? I went pretty much a full year without seeing the stars like this when I was in Beijing.”

Travel humbles you. Oftentimes we don’t realize the things we have or the things we take for granted or how easy our life is.  When you’re off exploring the world you’re mind is constantly turned on. Everything is new. Even the things that seem familiar and remind you of home are different.

Believe me – after an extended period of time anywhere – even if you loved it – that first night’s sleep back in your old bed (unless of course you’re one of the many that sold everything they own to embark on their journey!) is an irreplaceable feeling.

I met a lot of people in Europe.  I even encountered myself.  ~James Baldwin

Ah …the quest to find ourselves. I’m not sure what it is about the process of travel, but somehow while we’re in the middle of it we often do bump into who we really are. Suddenly we’re more enlightened. Suddenly we get ourselves a little bit more. Suddenly we realize just what we’re capable of. It’s a pretty amazing experience.

I’ll sit here right now and tell you that if you’re lost and looking to be found then a journey, walkabout, pilgrimage, adventure – whatever you want to call it – is one of the best ways to reach that discovery.

Travel tests you. Even on its best days – if you’re really traveling – if you’re great affair is really to move –  if you are not seeking to go from A to B but to experience all that’s in between – then you will find answers to questions you didn’t even know that you were looking for.

It is not down in any map; true places never are.  ~Herman Melville

I leave you with this final quote by Herman Melville.  Don’t think so hard about where you need or want to go. Just go. You don’t need a drawn out map when you’re traveling, and you don’t need one in life either. You create your own map, and while you damn well sure will get lost, you’ll find people, places, experiences, sights, and things about yourself that will stay with you forever.

Image Credit

It’s been a little while since I talked about road trips, but seeing as how I just returned from a small one around Missouri, it seems like a good time to touch on some things that one should keep in mind before, during and after trekking around those long, unforgiving highways.

1. Choose your travel buddies carefully. This, of course, applies to all travel situations, not just road trips, but it’s especially important to consider in this case. Remember, you’ll be spending the better part of every single day with these people in a space much smaller than any studio apartment you’ve ever lived in, so making sure that you can agree on music, food, pee-breaks and the like is vital.
2. Plan ahead, but leave yourself extra time. LOTS of extra time. There’s nothing worse than taking a road trip and feeling like you’re in a hurry; that brings to mind all kinds of uncomfortable ‘I’m on my way to work’ feelings, and that’s counter to what you should be experiencing. Make rough plans, but try not to schedule anything to the minute (or hour…or day). Chances are you’ll be late, and chances are you’ll enjoy the extra time you had to spend.
3. Figure out your expenses ahead of time. It’s no fun to have to argue about anything while on the road, so make sure everyone understands who is paying for what before you fill up the tank and leave town. Maybe you put everything on a credit card and everyone pays a percentage at the end, maybe you take turns filling up the tank and everyone pays for their own food, maybe you have some other elaborate system you want to try out. Regardless, make sure everyone is on the same page, and you’ll avoid a lot of conflict and drama later on.
4. Be prepared to go with the flow. More than anything, remember that this should be a fun experience, not a stressful one. If there’s music on the radio you don’t want to listen to, or if you stop at a restaurant you don’t particularly care for, be prepared to happily (and silently) acquiesce for the moment, and know that (provided you chose the right people to travel with) you’ll get first choice of music and food next time around.
5. Take lots of photos. Take snapshots of the landscape and the locals and each other. Really go crazy with it, because these days it doesn’t cost you a thing to take a bad photo, and having thousands to sort through afterward (so you can pick out the few dozen amazing ones) is part of the fun. Also, everyone loves to have ‘evidence’ shots of themselves at crazy places outside of their hometown, but it’s lame to take them of yourself, so play photographer for your comrades and let them do the same for you.
6. Your diet will suffer on the road. No matter how well you plan and tell yourself you will only eat almonds and soy milk for the duration of your trip, trust me, you won’t. Or you will, and you’ll be miserable because you set ridiculous standards for yourself, and then were too busy thinking about food to really enjoy what’s going on around you. Be realistic: know that your diet will suffer greatly. Act upon that reality: do some exercises every time you stop. You can also eat right when possible (maybe one meal a day can be balanced, even if the others are made up of candy bars and day-old bear claws).
7. Drink a lot of water. Trust me from personal experience: if you consume only energy drinks (to stay awake for a long, late-night drive, for example), you will have a pounding headache the next day. Dehydration sucks, and you don’t want to have to worry about that kind of thing when you should be focusing on enjoying the landscape and the company of your friends. Drink water all the time. In fact, go drink some right now. I’ll wait.
8. Be friendly to the locals, and buy their stuff. This is another tip that applies to travel in general, but you would be surprised how much of a difference you can make in some small-town local’s day simply by being polite, friendly, enthusiastic and generous. Buy some peanut brittle in a decorative tin. It says right there on the sign that it’s the best peanut brittle this side of the Mississippi! Your mom would love some, I’m sure.

Road trips are one of my favorite activities to undertake with friends, and if you do them right, you’ll probably feel the same.

Get a group together and figure out some kind of wild path to take around your country or someplace overseas. Flying is great, but you see a lot more of a place by keeping closer to the ground.

A few days ago I had a conversation with some friends of mine that turned into an exchange of ideas about culture, international relations, government, being proud to be where you’re from, and opinions and beliefs about why things are the way they are in this world.

I have to admit that as the conversation carried on I respected everything that they had to say but the only thing holding me back from truly appreciating it was the fact that neither of them had ever crossed the border of the country from which we were sitting in and having this conversation from.

It’s just… if someone hasn’t been there… if they haven’t seen how things REALLY are with their own eyes and they’ve only seen what the media and grape vine tells them… then how can they have such adamant views about the way things are? How can one explain the realities of what’s happening in another country simply based off of what third parties have told them?

Sure, there are documentaries and books and magazines and friends who’ve been there, but just like anything in life – you’ll never really understand it or get it until you actual try it or do it or see it.

PART OF TRAVEL IS ACTUALLY BEING THERE

Part of exploring the world is experiencing things that humble you in two directions – it shows you what you’ve been so lucky to have in your own home country, and also can show you ways in which you can make your own home country that much better.

Part of exploring the world is seeing with your own eyes, touching with your own hands, standing with your own feet in the very realities that are often either undermined or exaggerated by the media.

Part of exploring the world is finding out the answers for yourself and getting the proof yourself that shows your ideals and views are right. However, it’s also essential you travel with an open mind that allows for the equal opportunity to prove those notions wrong.

PEOPLE WHO GET WHAT I MEAN

Maybe I just miss being around fellow travelers. I often think back to nights spent in hostels in South East Asia or South America. I think about the conversations I had with fellow travelers who’ve truly seen the world and really have something to say about it.

I think  their stories that took place in lands I hadn’t been. It’s so much better to learn about a country’s culture and traditions from people that have actually walked through them and been part of them.

I think about listening to debates between two people from two different countries that do things quite differently. Neither of them were ever wrong because cultural difference is simply how the world turns.

DO BEFORE YOU SAY

I’ll always respect the opinions of people that I respect in general. However, there’s a reason that a balance between book smarts and street smarts gets people far in life. You can’t have one without the other. You can’t debate and converse and explain how the world works unless you’ve actually stepped out into the world. And you also can’t do it if you haven’t taken the time to learn how it works either.

And so on a final note, I’d just like to say that if you haven’t been go. If you haven’t heard, listen. And if you have a belief, find out about it for yourself.

You can’t be a traveler if you haven’t traveled. It’s an exclusive club with easy access that welcomes anyone eager to see and do. But you can’t be in it if you haven’t done the seeing or the doing.

What do you think?