How not to travel
Thanks to the pandemic, I’d been grounded for more than six months now. My last trip was a family vacation across Vietnam in January. It was a lovely trip. But now, thinking back on that trip, the most enjoyable moments were spent in a little resort town called Mui Ne. And I still remember my husband proclaimed at check-in that the place reminded him of Thailand.
Then rewinding my life in the past 2 decades at a speed of sixteen times, I realized my husband made similar comments wherever we went.
“If you take out the visit to the Terra Cotta Warriors, it felt like we never left Beijing.”
“If you take out the Great Wall, hiking here is not that much different from hiking in Shenandoah.”
“If you take out the salinity of the water, the setup at the Dead Sea is kind of similar to Clear Water Bay.”
I remember agreeing to his comments when he made them. You should know by now that my husband is not overly keen to travel. I was the one that pushed him to get a passport, get visas, and get his behind on a plane. So, I can understand to some extent why he always focused on the similarities.
But as I grew older and became more well-traveled, I did find myself experiencing very similar things regardless of where I was.
One explanation, of course, is globalization. (Depending on the outcome of the November election, globalization might be at risk for another four years.) A majority of places are being run by multinational corporations, hosting, transporting, feeding, dressing, and entertaining globe-trotters. Regardless of where you go, you don’t even need to look for them; familiar names and logos will appear before you. I have to admit, sometimes, the familiarity gives you a reassuring sense of security in an unfamiliar place.
But traveling meant one should explore and have new experiences.
To ensure that I will have new experiences when I travel, I made sure that my itinerary would allow for enough time to be spent outdoors. I figured nothing will be more original than climbing the local mountains, fishing in their local waters, etc.
The first few times were refreshing. The indigenous fauna and flora were eye-opening and awe-inspiring. But the experience and the conversations that we had while getting to those unique sights weren’t all that different.
Commercialization homogenizes our experiences, as evident in the similar jokes told by drivers or guides, a similar itinerary of the day. Or is it?
I looked up that private tour after researching many websites and books. The places are often so remote that it took numerous exchanges with the guide to arrange for the excursion. Sometimes, I even need to reschedule flights or trains to make it happen. One time, I actually swapped vacations to make it in time before the fishing season ends.
I began to realize, the person responsible for the homogenous travel experience is me. Never a spontaneous person, I plan meticulously for all my trips. Turns out, the more I travel, the more I plan, the less I experience.
For a fuller travel (or life, even) experience, don’t do what I did.
