Things I've Discovered About Traveling

My days as an expat are coming to a rather quick conclusion. This time next month, I'll be fighting jet lag in Mobile while thinking back to my days here and appreciating even more just how blessed I am. That being said, I'm finding myself in a more reflective state. I've started thinking about the trips I've taken and those that are to come and have come to some conclusions about my likes and dislikes, do's and don't's when it comes to traveling. They are: 

Travel Partners/Companions:

By the time I leave Spain, I will only have traveled with the same person twice. All of my other trips will have been with different people or alone. Since I've had a decent array of travel buddies, I've come to discover that I like them to be anal enough to plan and be detail-oriented with said planning, but also flexible enough to change if something better comes up. I don't want someone who's so rigid that they have to make an hour-by-hour itinerary--it's a vacation, after all, so let's relax. Further, I love traveling with people who are excited enough to hit the tourist spots, but chill enough to venture out and discover something new and off the beaten path. I like to talk on trips, but I'm also something of a solitary soul (I do reclusive really well, y'all), so, while I love to socialize, I also need for people to know when to just be quiet. Yes, let's converse and giggle and be merry, but let's also just enjoy certain moments and take in our surroundings in silence (which is vastly underrated, I must say). Finally, and most importantly, I like to eat, so my travel buddies need to be about that life, too! I understand eating healthy; indeed, I've made some drastic health changes in the last year and have come to appreciate the benefits of a healthy diet to my life. However, I'm flexible enough to enjoy the cuisine of a new country and compensate for it later by exercising a little harder; that's a small price to pay for gastronomic explorations. 

Smartphones

Just writing that word in relation to traveling makes my blood boil. I have a smartphone in the States to which I'm slightly addicted. I have a purportedly smartphone here, though it doesn't do anything a dumb phone can't do. I actually recently got the phone activated only so my parents could have easier access to me since I'll be traveling so much, though I still don't really use it. That being said, leave the dumb ass smartphones behind! My gawd, whyyyyyy must we all take out our smartphones to use Google maps to WALK somewhere!? You're traveling! Be a tourist, grab the damn complimentary tourist map, and keep it pushin'! If you get lost, oh well; some of the greatest discoveries have been made when wandering along different streets, so either go with the flow or ask a local. Further, Google Maps is the absolute devil! They'll have you scaling cliffs just to go around the corner. GPS should only be used when driving; when walking, especially while on vacations, turn the dumbsmartphones off, get lost, and enjoy doing it!

Food

 Nom nom nom. I've discovered that the cuisine of different countries can be hit or miss for me. The only reason Turkey was a hit was because of the never-ending pastries and shish kebabs. They can really keep their overabundance of yogurt. I like to think that I can be adventurous while still remaining true to my palate. I don't like cream-based sauces, so I just avoid them. However, I do like to try one random new thing without straying too far from my preferences and I've yet to be disappointed or underwhelmed. Street food kills...in a good way, of course. Wherever I've been, whether stateside or abroad, the street food game is just incomparable. That's legitimate, authentic food for a dirt cheap price that just can't be beat! I think it's okay to want to try a specific food upon arriving to a country, but people should be open enough to experiment. Don't get so stuck on a particular food that you shortchange yourself. As far as pastries/sweets/desserts, sugar-free is an American concoction...just like chicken alfredo and mocha latte's! There are just certain things you're not going to find in other countries that don't have as huge of an obesity problem as the U.S. and treat healthy eating like a fad...the aforementioned are three such things, so either suck it up and find a nice replacement or pack your own food. Finally, having a nice last meal in each city that I've visit has become a requirement. 

Housing

A more expensive hotel/hostel/AirBnB apartment does not necessarily mean quality (see Where Not to Stay in Istanbul). Therefore, splurging on a place won't always produce the desired results. It's extremely important to decide whether to stay near tourist attractions or nightlife, since I've found that they're not always located near one another. I personally prefer the tourist attractions since that's what I go to a city to see. 

Public Transport

Simply put, it's not necessary in every site I've visited. It's a lot simpler--and more fun--in some places to just walk and wander. 

Travel to and from Destination:

Apparently, traveling before noon is the cheapest way to go, sadly. However, 6:30 a.m. and red-eye flights are the devil, the absolute, unabashed devil. It's slightly suicidal to do both in the same trip (which I did for Istanbul).

People:

Natives are amazing. It's easy to be intimidated by people of a different culture in a country in which I don't speak the language, but simply setting that fear aside and trying to actually communicate helps humanize them, which, in turn, leads to meeting amazing people and having amazing conversations.

Nightlife:

I'm not one of those people who has to party in every country I visit just to say that I did. I'm okay just being a tourist, starting my days early-ish and ending them relatively early. I will say, however, that I'm more than happy that I got a taste of Istanbul's nightlife.  

Those are the biggies, for now. More reflective posts coming soon...