I am very happy to be guest posting here at Where I've Been! This post is different from what you might expect. It will not reveal the latest travel trends, the best museum in New York or where to find the tastiest càfe latte in Italy. My article will show you how travel observations can work to create a better different travel experience.
This post was triggered by a tweet from Katy at Where I've Been:
“A traveler without observation is a bird without wings" – Moslih Eddin Saadi
As a true travel addict I was immediately challenged to explain the quote from my own perspective. We are a Dutch family of four (children aged 10 and 7) who travel on a regular basis. We travel to various places all over the world because we want to educate our children to become global citizens and have them encounter different cultures and people early in life.
Why improving your travel observation skills?
So putting it all together, what does this quote mean to me? How can we become better observers while traveling and really make the travel experience work for us (and our children)? How to make sure we actively use our travel wings?
But I hear you think: “Observations? What do you mean, improving the way we observe? We are already constantly observing, aren’t we?” Hmm, not really. Do you recall those moments driving your car and suddenly you realize you have driven a couple of miles without even noticing it? Your mind was drifting away and you forgot to observe. Same goes for traveling. You have to work on the way you observe.
Many people compare travels. “I have been to that city and saw that awesome building.” “During my trip we had the best guide who showed us the best beach ever.” And more. Does that mean your trip was better than mine? Can you even compare travels? You can when you compare the total costs of transport, food and lodging, but how to compare an experience?
Travel observation is what makes the difference. The more intense you observe, the greater the reward of traveling. Tell me, how many times during your travels do you just pick a bench and watch people passing by. Watching what happens on the street? Inviting the local culture to embrace you? There are so many ways of improving the way you observe while you travel, I will share some later on.
Observing in Vietnam
How to become a better observer?
Traveling is different from a vacation. Most vacations are for people to relax and rest, taking time off from work and the daily whirlpool they’re in. Traveling is different. You travel because you want to explore and discover a country. You are on a journey, ready to immerse in a different environment. You need other ways of observation there.
How? Start with actively using serendipity. Leave your travel guide book at home for a day. For example, walk out of your hotel and turn right. That’s your only plan: turn right. Just let the world come to you. Tip: carry a card with the address of your hotel so you don’t have to worry about losing your way.
Let serendipity guide you to create new observations.
Make pictures of how local people make a living and you will be surprised by the result. Make pictures of different modes of transport in the city you are staying. On a whole different level, you can engage in volunteering work in a local school, orphanage or animal care center (this will show you different aspects of the country for sure!) Or just talk to a stranger and ask about his most favorite spot in town. It will bring you to unexpected places for sure.
By adopting and cultivating serendipity we are creating a texture of a great and rewarding travel life. That is the true value of traveling.
Please share your suggestions on improving the way we observe during our travels. Thank you!
Emiel van den Boomen
Twitter: @vandenboomen
Blog: Act of Traveling
Facebook: Act of Traveling
7 comments:
Thanks for the opportunity of guest posting on your blog Katy!
This story was triggered by one of your tweets, carrying this great travel quote. I am a big fan of looking at travel with a kind of poetic view. At my blog I write about destinations and places that are awesome to visit, but I also write about the true meaning of travel and why travel is so important for our family.
Thanks again!
Emiel
Hi A good post about reminding us to really focus on the task at hand and not pushing and pushing to see everything and do everything that people told us to do. Be a nice follow up to look at how this affects the "inner journey" and how an outer awareness, helps our inner awareness. Thanks
Fantastic. I agree...as someone who has vacationed, I love being able to sit by the pool and rest and read and relax and have a few drinks. As someone who has traveled, one of my favorite things is watching people. I once sat for four hours on the banks of a canal in Venice just watching...and it was one of the best days I've ever had. Recently I was in Spain and Portugal for the 1st time. AMAZING experience. What I did every day is I hugged someone. I observed people all day everyday around all the tourists, especially in places like Barcelona, and every day I would connect with someone whereever I was, and I would strike up a conversation, sometimes for 5 minutes and sometimes, for an hour over a drink...and I would always ask for a hug. In the 23 days I was there, I hugged 19 women and 39 men. I'd say my travel experience was a success. Thanks for sharing this!
Observation is a key term while performing any type of activity. A good observer always moulds into the surrounding environment and works accordingly. While you are travelling you should observe each and everything quite vigilantly in order to stay on the correct path; if not done properly it may cause problems for you. This happened two years ago when I took a flight to Zimbabwe as. I went care free to locations and it resulted in I lost my way back to my accommodation.
Thanks to Craig, Cinderita and Eva for lovely comments. Great to read about all your experiences with and thoughts about Observations!
Emiel
I completely agree with you my platonic love, a traveler has to have observation otherwise, he or she will miss a lot in the travels, I am a very good observer and my eyes can't stop looking at your Aphrodite's beauty ;)
Another tip to make the most out of the experience is not to dress and act like a tourist. Locals treat tourists in a different way. It is better to get the real deal while you are there.
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