I am always struck by just how much happens over the course of a year.
It’s a lot. And 2018 was a big, full year for my family.
I am also struck by just how quickly a year can pass … as the saying goes, “the days are long but the years are short.” A year ago found my little family of three in Seattle preparing to begin an epic, four month adventure in Europe. Touring seven countries over the course of four months was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And in the blink of an eye we were back home, settling into real life.
But it also feels as if several lifetimes have passed since we embarked on our adventure.
I have been thinking a lot about our time leading up to and traveling in Europe last year. I was asked when I was going to blog an update about the lessons learned from our experience but now we have been home for eight months, it seems a bit pointless … not to mention that my 47 year-old brain is having difficulty remembering the details. But this is why I love and use Facebook . . . the memory feature is awesome.
At any rate, the reminiscing of our travel odyssey has gotten me thinking about what we loved and what we would do differently. Maybe these will resonate with you … so here are our top 11 observations, because ten is so Dave Letterman.
- Be more knowledgeable of each country’s current events. I don’t know how much this would have helped manage or ease our travel experience but it certainly could have been beneficial and not at all harmful to know more about what the current climate . . . political, social, economical . . . of each country we visited. If nothing else, knowledge is power.
- Use the native language. I saw a video . . . on Facebook, maybe it was a Ted Talk, I don’t remember. But I do remember it was about learning a foreign language. There were two guys who traveled to four countries over the course of a year, spending three months in each country, becoming fluent in that native language during those three months . . . languages that were really in no way similar to each other. What they did was the minute they arrived, they used ONLY the native language. And at first it was really hard and they spent a lot of time looking up words in the dictionary but it forced them to really use it, thereby really learning it. I am not saying we should have gone to this extreme . . . communicating with the hubs would have stopped happening altogether . . . but we should have done more. We can always do more. I am cognizant of the importance of having a basic vocabulary in the native language and, more importantly getting past the fear of using it. Most people will applaud and appreciate your efforts.
- From the hubby . . . Leave the fancy travel accessories at home. Had I known he wouldn’t sleep on the plane, I would have definitely left his neck rest at home. The then 16-year old said she would have used hers . . . had she remembered she had it. I definitely used mine . . . so this one is a toss up. Maybe the advice is to try it out at home a bunch before making the decision to pack it.
- Be MORE spontaneous. Four months is a long time to spend traveling and I figured with that much time, I could have been more “go with the flow”. But that isn’t in my nature and I think I could have done more. As someone told me, “You are who you are, no matter where you are.” I am a planner and always will be no matter where I am but there is something to be said for letting go and not locking everything into a schedule.
- Emerge in the culture. Visiting a new country is supposed to take you out of your comfort zone. It’s important to take advantage of all the culture has to offer. Playing it safe, in this case, is a detriment and as much as we thought we were experiencing everything the culture had to offer, as always, we could have done more.
- Take a walking tour in each new city. The walking tours in the cities we took them, are what have resonated and stuck with us. Meeting other travelers was a delight and the local guides were hands-down our favorite parts of our travel experience. Most European cities offer free walking tours an there are usually several types from which to choose, ranging from 2-3 hours. The guides are crazy knowledgeable and what I loved about this was not necessarily that they were “free” . . . because there was an expectation to tip, though not a requirement . . . it was that we could pay based on the value that we got out of the tour, which ended up being more than what we would have gotten from a traditional tour. I wish we would have done this in every city.
- Be more discerning when capturing photographic moments. We took a TON of photos. Hubby is putting together a slideshow of our trip and by the time he completes it, he will have spent countless hours and created a made-for-tv mini-series for our unlucky friends’, viewing pleasure. Taking photos is a funny business. We want to capture the moment so we can remember it but by constantly looking through the viewfinder, we can’t appreciate just being present and in the moment. Take turns taking photos and try to document only the really good stuff.
- Don’t fret about getting the packing just right. Looking back, while I packed all three of us pretty lightly, we could have left more at home. Anything you could possible want or need you can find and if you don’t need it then you aren’t schlepping it around the world.
- Explore the outskirts. Day trips are fun! Some of our most memorable experiences were taking day trips from Rome to Pisa, and from Paris to both Chartres and Versailles. There is more to the experience than just the city you are in. And it was the great thing about having a stretch of time in one place. We wish we would have done more of that.
- When it comes to museums it’s really about the quality of time you spend not the quantity of museums. There is a pressure to see as many things as possible . . . museums being one of them. As the then 16 year-old observed, we saw so many of them, they all began to run together. Looking back, I think we would have been better to pick 2 or 3 and spend several days exploring in each then going to half a dozen different ones.
- Lastly, from the now 17 year-old . . . and this is a shocker . . . Unplug MORE. When your face is constantly looking down at your screen, you miss out on the experiences around you. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I love the New Year. It actually occurs during the worst time of year … while everything is dark and hidden beneath the snow or drowning in the rain. But the New Year, for me, is a reminder to start fresh, to be open to new opportunities and to make positive changes. It is also a time to reflect on what was and to dream about what will be all while staying present in this moment.