The longer I travel, the more countries I see, and the more experiences I have, I begin to split two completely different ways when it comes to how I want to travel. At first, I started off as a bold backpacker, ready to take on the world and to try every new experience possible – and it didn’t matter to me where I stayed or how I did it, only the journey mattered. Then, as I traveled for 6 straight months in hostel bunks and on CouchSurfing makeshifts-at-best, my age reared its wrinkled and age-stained head, and all I wanted was comfort for once, throughout the final two months of my trip. I’ve traveled long enough to know how to ‘get into’ a destination, how to find the paths less traveled and how to connect and get to know the people of a place, so changing the way I travel has little negative effect on my overall travel experience. I’ve found that I still grow and learn, and create amazing memories, yet I yearn for something more like home, after being uncomfortable on the road for so long.
The interesting thing is that I’ve sort of split my thoughts on travel luxury – I either want to travel in luxury, with comfort, in a somewhat Westernized place, OR I would rather skimp out on all comforts, luxuries and extras, and have an authentic, down to earth, me and the real world experience. As of right now, I’ve realized that I want to have a relaxed, all-inclusive holiday, or a ‘roughing it,’ life changing experience through my travels. It’s kind of odd how things change like that, but I suppose after traveling for so long, that you’re either in it to live like a local, experiencing real life in real places, as far away from your normal existence as possible, or you’re a tourist floating from place to place in grandeur. Neither way is incorrect, you can travel as you like, however I think that it’s one thing to visit a place, see the sights, experience one or two authentic aspects of a place and its culture, compared to really digging in, traveling slow, and living their life, rather than simply spectating.
Now that it’s winter in Ohio, and I’m back home, visiting my family for Christmas and New Years, I’m looking to take a couple of small trips, either within the States or just outside – somewhere in the Caribbean, perhaps. For this type of ‘escape the winter’ trip, I’m aiming for more luxurious experiences, where maybe I would take an all-inclusive cruise somewhere, or possibly stay in one of those wicked nice beach front resorts. While I know these are not real travel experiences, per say, I do appreciate the occasional the drive to vacation away from the norm though. Then later next year, probably late summer, early autumn, I am planning to get back to the rougher and realer side of travel by backpacking through Asia.
(Photo via wakpaper.com)
Now that it’s winter in Ohio, and I’m back home, visiting my family for Christmas and New Years, I’m looking to take a couple of small trips, either within the States or just outside – somewhere in the Caribbean, perhaps. For this type of ‘escape the winter’ trip, I’m aiming for more luxurious experiences, where maybe I would take an all-inclusive cruise somewhere, or possibly stay in one of those wicked nice beach front resorts. While I know these are not real travel experiences, per say, I do appreciate the occasional the drive to vacation away from the norm though. Then later next year, probably late summer, early autumn, I am planning to get back to the rougher and realer side of travel by backpacking through Asia.
(Photo via wakpaper.com)
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