Creating a Culture of Travel

Traveling with an open mind is the key to enjoying your experience. The problem with many travelers today is that we are constantly comparing our experiences to what we call home.  Here's how I do it:

I'm hypoglycemic and have many food allergies, so I bring some basic snack foods to eat while I'm looking for local foods that I can eat.  I don't seek out foods from home anymore (I admit, I used to!), but rather I open my mind to what is common.  Why?  Foods are a huge part of culture.  How, when, and what people eat are big clues to how to get by in day-to-day life.

I walk around.  A lot.  I explore and people watch.  I look at the buildings - when were they built?  What are they used for?  What views do they offer?  I watch the people interact with each other and their technologies.  How do people treat kids? Elderly people?  "Alternative lifestyle" people?  The technologies piece is a bigger and bigger issue as years go on.  This is something I didn't notice until 2006.

I watch and read advertisements.  Even if I don't understand the language of the home culture, I can understand what product is being sold, and a price range. What does this mean about the importance of this product?  Is this something that people are buying readily, or something that people are still skeptical about?

I go where the locals go.  I love eating in cafes rather than fancy restaurants.  The fancy restaurants in tourist areas are often catered to tourists.

I find that opening my mind and my eyes to the culture around me makes me enjoy my time in foreign countries much more.  I always return wishing to bring pieces of those cultures home.

Something I used to be better at:  writing about pictures I'm taking before I get home and get mixed up about where I've been.  Making early and detailed notes will help you remember how you felt about each little experience within the greater travel experience. And these feelings mean so much more than that bad experience on the flight home that leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Travel, and travel often.  Don't assume everyone is American, and don't act like everyone should be.  This rule will make all travel more educational, and more enjoyable for all.