I think that there is always a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) for any seasoned traveller. You want to experience everything a town or city has to offer. When you feel like you didn’t get to participate in something, you feel like you not only let the city down but yourself down as well. I remember well listening to stories from my friends of their late-night escapades. I would scan Instagram feeling jealous of those “cool” people thriving in the nightlife. They were out late at the bars or dancing on rooftop pubs having the time of their lives. I really thought, “maybe I need to change things up a bit?” 

One morning, on Magnetic Island, in Queensland Australia, I awoke with the sun beaming in through our hostel window. The morning light shining right into my tired eyes. The iron bunkbeds creaked with the sound of people moving around in their sleep above me. I tried to lie in, in the hopes that maybe I could stay out late with everyone else the next day. But the thin sheets which I raised over my head did nothing to block out the income rays. I decided to just accept defeat and get up.

I dragged my feet as silently as I could out the door. Quietly closing it behind me so my fellow bedmates could sleep in. The morning dew was still wet on the ground when I walked out the door, but the warm sun was heating up the air all around me already. I snuck into the communal kitchen and filled up my coffee thermos. With hot brew in hand I headed out to the beach.

Magnetic Island is already a pretty tranquil place, but it seemed to be almost deserted in the early morning. The tourist shops and restaurants wouldn’t be open for hours. They also serviced late-night vacationers. With no one else out here, it felt like my own private island.

A gorgeous white horse was gracing in the distance. I stopped and watched it trot up and down its paddy for a few minutes, as it was my only companion. A few koalas stirred in the tree above me. I smiled up at their adorable little faces. It seemed like all the animals were coming out to greet me as I walked. Like I was some “Snow White” character in an Australian fairytale.

I made my way to the beach and sat on the wet but warm sand. I looked out and watched as the sun rose in the distance. Casting its reflection against the still waters. I walked along the hiking trail to Alma Bay, a beautiful hour-long walk that was normally filled with tourists. But in the dawn of the morning, I had it all to myself. I sat in the bay for another hour, sipping my coffee and taking in this private moment. It felt like that scene was made just for me. And all those years ago, sitting on that beach, I made a strong realization. I understood that being an early riser, I wasn’t missing out, I was just having a different experience. One not superior to the other, but one that was also worthy.

Despite being in that minority, especially as a younger person, I realized how many advantages there were to early morning explorations. And I never looked back. I never saw those other people’s late-night antics as something I missed out on, rather just a choice. They were also missing out. I got to see a myriad of amazing things I would never get to do on the other side of the clock. And that was something to be proud of. Not to be ashamed of or feel like I needed to change.

I made that realization more than ten years ago, and still to this day, I LOVE being the one who gets up before the sun. Whenever I visit a new city, no matter who I’m with and if they feel like joining me or not, I always wake up at the crack of dawn and explore the city as it begins to wake. It’s a ritual I never miss. So, what have I found are the best advantages of being an early morning traveller?

It’s Better for Jetlag

Waking up with the sun is a great way to help beat jetlag. It’s essential to expose yourself to the natural morning light to change your inner clock to the new time zone. While it might be challenging to get up when you just wanna sleep, the best way to cure that is to force yourself to get up and get moving! Exercise, even just walking around, helps get the blood circulation going and will help reset your sleep cycle.

Sunrise

Sunrise, I find to be far superior to sunset. Maybe not visually but experientially. I have always chased the sunrise in every country I visit. Nine times out of ten, I am the only one looking at it. No one seems to like getting up at 5 am to walk a mile to a lookout point (since the public transit isn’t yet running). But I sure do. That little trek to get there on the power of my legs alone makes the entire thing feel all the more incredible! Watching the sunrise with a cup of coffee is my ideal way to start the day. 

At sunset, these same viewpoints are often much busier as more people are already out and about. Some people might argue that sunsets are far prettier. While sunset is more colourful, this is mainly because the sky is full of pollutants and wind-borne particles. These particles create a scattering effect that casts light across a greater region of the sky. This creates a more dynamic range of colour. Sunrise, on the other hand, is “cleaner” and therefore the colours are a little purer. More authentic. 

COFFEE!

Speaking of coffee…I LOVE coffee! I would rather drink ten cups of coffee than one cocktail. Being an early riser means you have so much more time in the day to explore the myriad of coffee shops all over the city! The last time I was in Lisbon, I spent an entire morning exploring as many different cafes as I could. Trying all their different brews and beans. Are a caffeine lover like me? In that case, there is nothing better than exploring a new city with a latte, cappuccino, or plain ol’ brewed coffee in hand. Many cafes close by midday as their chief patron is only there to get their morning cup o’ Joe. Later risers who don’t make it out the door until the afternoon miss out on all these fantastic concoctions.

Cities Before Tourism

Tourists, as a general rule, are late risers except. The sole exception is when they’re trying to make it to busy tourist attractions early in the day. I have found that early mornings are a great way to see the city before tourists overtake it. This is especially important in big cities like Venice, Paris and Rome. I loved reading and pouring through Sarah’s post about Paris Before Tourists. She gets to see Paris at the crack of dawn on her early morning walk to work. It’s absolutely incredible. Such a contrast seeing those iconic streets and buildings silently standing in the sunlight before their beautiful facades are blocked by the faces of travellers clamouring to take a picture. 

Early Access to Tourist Attractions

More times than not, popular tourist attractions will get busier and busier as the day wears on. Almost every blog post or guide book will advise you to “arrive early.” If you’re already an early riser, getting in line or heading down to that destination first thing in the morning won’t feel like as much of an inconvenience. When we visited Sintra and the famous Pena Palace, our early arrival was the difference between feeling like we could really explore the palace for ourselves and feeling like we were a bunch of sardines crammed inside a tin.

Breakfast Around the World 

Anyone who wakes up late in the day misses out on breakfast. Many people say that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. Whether this is true or not, I love discovering what different countries take on this important meal is. In Mexico City, I would chase down the tamale sellers who only appeared in the early mornings. In Japan, a fresh piece of fish and miso soup was served up in our Ryokans as the best way to start the day. Breakfast in Stockholm in the winter was filled with warm saffron pastries straight from the over. I can’t imagine these cities without tasting the memories of my perfect first meals of the day.

Enjoy a Siesta

I actually love napping. I quick power nap is an excellent way of restoring all your energy after waking up at 5 am. Learning to enjoy an afternoon nap, or siesta, was something I got into after my first trip to Spain. I used to be that person who liked to “go-go-go” intensely. I looked at any form of sleep as something which took time away from exploring. But a short siesta has HUGE health benefits. They are known to decrease stress and lower your chance of heart disease by 30%! This is how so many Spanish people can eat all those fatty foods and still live a long and healthy life.

While in Barcelona, I would return home to my incredibly beautiful apartments and take a quick nap under the afternoon sun. It was the best way to relieve any fatigue. It also helped me get up and face the rest of the day with a renewed vigour! Now, this is something I try to schedule into most of my days whenever I’m travelling.

Flea Markets

If you have your heart set on a visiting a flea market and are a keen antiquer, early mornings are the ideal time to get the best selection. As the gates open or blankets go down, avid collectors are the first to nab the one-of-a-kind items. To be amongst them, and get your hands on some unusual things, waking up early is essential.

Farmers Market

Farmers Markets are another thing that is always only open during the beginning of the day. And the best produce is often cleared out before people have had their first coffee. Trendy food items, which have been made famous on Instagram, are gone in an instant! But if you’re like me, and there early enough, you’ll be one of the lucky few to get your hands on them!

It Feels Easier to Fit In

As mentioned before, most tourists tend to get a late start on the day. So waking up early in the morning makes you feel more like a local. People will often even start conversations with me in their native language. They think I’m a new neighbour only to discover I’m just visiting. They are always so friendly and happy to start up a dialogue. These early morning conversations have often resulted in some of the best recommendations in my travels. Since they’re not overrun with other tourists, its more comfortable for them to feel like they can talk to me one-on-one as we both sit and sip a cup of coffee.

Any Downsides?

• Waking up in the morning can have its downsides. You might be bored. Most attractions and sights don’t open that early. If you’ve gotten up at 5 am to catch the sunrise, you might find yourself needing to kill a lot of time between then and 10 am. As that is when most big attractions open. If you’re not great at finding ways to occupy your time without something specific to do, you might find this problematic. I usually spend this downtime enjoying people watching at a cafe. I find a seat outside, edit some photos or go through the plans for the rest of the day. It’s also a perfect time of day to wander around and take pictures of the city as it’s much less crowded.

• It’s cold. The mornings are usually much colder than the rest of the day. So just layer up, and you’ll be fine. I sometimes come back to the hotel, my mid-morning, to change if I felt like I needed to shed a few layers.

• You do miss out on late night magic. I know that I have more than once wished I had stayed out late as I listen to an exciting story about a fantastic night out at so-and-so bar. And it’s true, after dinner, I’m usually ready to head back to the hotel and don’t have much energy to stay out and dance the night away. But it’s all about balance. While most morning for me might be spent waking up at 5 am and heading out the door, I always allow myself to let the experience take me where it takes me. If I’m really enjoying myself and have the energy to stay out, I stay out. That is where those naps really come in handy!

I’m sure there are just as many advantages for night owls, but I wanted to make this post for any other early birds who feel like they might be missing out like or that there was something wrong with them for loving being an early morning traveller. It took me too long to embrace this part of my personality and especially in the travel community I feel like it’s rather obscure. My hope is that other early risers can see this side of themselves as a positive quality and not negative. Or maybe this post will encourage some later risers to give this way of living a try when they’re travelling and discover something new!

Let me know if you’re an early riser or night owl and what you like best about that side of travelling!

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

The post Why I Explore the World as an Early Riser first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Even though I travel a lot, it still surprises me that I haven’t had more close calls with missed flights. Maybe I’ve been lucky. Maybe too confident. Either way, going through it for the first time taught me more than any travel blog warning ever could. At the end of this post, I’ve added the things I wish I’d known then. What to do if you think you’re going to miss your flight. How to stop it from happening in the first place. And what your options are if you actually do miss it.

Now that I’ve lived through it, I feel oddly calmer about the whole idea. It’s stressful, sure, but not the end of the world. And maybe that’s the real takeaway.

The Backstory

I knew flights would be expensive around Christmas time but I had set my heart and mind set on going. And when I do that, there is little anyone can do to stop me. Luckily, a family friend managed to get me a discount code for my flights on a particular Canadian airline. When I went to book them, I unfortunately discovered the code wouldn’t work. I checked the fine print and knew there were no blackout dates so I couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

I called up the airline and they told me that since there are no direct flights from Toronto to Stockholm, I would need to make a stop-over in Copenhagen. And for some reason, the coupon code wouldn’t work for the second leg of the journey. Thinking I knew better than the system, I thought to myself, “Well then, I’ll just book the flight from Toronto to Copenhagen using the code and then book the Copenhagen to Stockholm flights on the other airline’s site directly.” I thought I had gamed the system, and started happily planning the rest of my trip.

Departure Day

The day of my flight arrived, the sun was shining in the morning and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was leaving right from the office so feeling relieved I went about my day and set to work. About 3 hours later I got up to eat lunch and turned to see a blizzard outside the window. My heart dropped. I immediately went online and checked the departures schedule on the Pearson airport website. When I opened the website I saw every single flight was delayed out of Toronto.

I had no idea what I was going to do. Why, you ask? Because I had done something very stupid. By booking my two connecting flights separately it meant that if I missed the connection, neither airline was responsible for rebooking me without a charge. I don’t know why this never crossed my mind. I had never done separate bookings before, so I think in my naive brain I just assumed that I could get on the next flight without paying for a new ticket. But after a quick google, I found out that was not the case (at least in most situations).

I only had an hour and a half to make my connection at Copenhagen airport. At this moment I had no idea what I could have been thinking, how could I have made a mistake like this? Especially in the winter when I knew there were always travel issues with the weather.

Arrival at the Airport

Eventually, the storm passed, but flights were still delayed. My stress was getting the best of me and I decided to go to the airport and be stressed out there. The airport felt deserted, so many flights have been cancelled and passengers were safely tucked away at home. I sat near my gate and watched the arrivals board like a hawk. I looked out the window, waiting for my outbound plane to arrive. To my surprise, as the snow dissipated, more and more planes began arriving and departing on time. Before I knew it my plane was sitting at the gate, hours before we planned to leave. The time on the board had us departing exactly on time and with no sign of bad weather, I thought we were in the clear….

Key Decision Making

As we were about to board they made an announcement asking passengers with carry-on luggage if they wanted to check their luggage to their final destination. I went up to the woman at the counter and sheepishly asked her if I could do gate-check instead. She told me that that wasn’t an option but I should take them up on the offer of checking my luggage to the final destination.

I told the associate how worried I was about making the connecting flight since the connection was only an hour and a half. She half laughed and tried to assure me it would be fine since they were set to depart on time and the Copenhagen airport wasn’t very large. I hemmed and hawed and she just stared at me blankly. I just had the worst feeling and knew that travelling with your bags is key to making connections. After a few more minutes of chatting with her, I declined the offer and kept my bag with me. This would be a key decision in this entire journey.

Finally Boarding!

We began boarding early and before we knew it, we had boarded the entire plane and we were ready for taking off. At least we thought so. The plane felt oddly empty… But I just assumed this was from all the delays. Then the announcements came on and they told us we were waiting for passengers to arrive who had late connections. But I knew to wait for them meant I would be late for my connection. My nerves started up again.

Minutes counted down on my phone and soon we had been waiting for more than 40 minutes for these passengers. When they finally arrived we pulled out from the gate. I asked the flight attendant if we had a clear flight plan and she assured me that even with the 40-minute delay we would arrive with enough time to make my flight. There were 25 other passengers on the plane that were in the same boat as me so she assured me we’d all be ok. I tried to relax but as the plane began to pull away from the gate, I could see we weren’t going in the right direction. I know this airport and the runways, and in a moment I knew where we were going…The dreaded de-icing.

De-icing

If you’ve never flown out of an airport during the winter, feel blissfully lucky. De-icing is a necessary evil for winter flights but it adds sometimes hours to your take off. All the planes have to line up to be spewed with a bunch of sludge to ensure the engine doesn’t freeze upon take off. Necessary? Sure. Disappointing when trying to make a connection? YES!
As we crawled through the line of planes, we slowly realized that none of the passengers who were attempting to make that connection were going to make it.

I asked the flight attendant and she said all those with Air Canada connecting tickets would simply be rebooked onto the next flight out and not to worry. I told her I didn’t have an Air Canada ticket, as I booked the second part of my journey with SAS directly. Her smiling face dropped and I knew this has a bad sign. She said more than likely I would have to buy a new ticket as my only option. She gave me the most sympathetic look and as my eyes filled with tears.

Buying a new ticket was out of the question, it would have cost me too much money. Almost as much as the entire trip combined. I quickly grabbed my phone and started to look for alternatives. I knew there was a train that left from Copenhagen to Stockholm every few hours so I took a few screenshots of the schedule. This was my backup plan. I had a good little cry in my seat but knew I just had to keep my heart focused on the joy I would feel upon seeing my friend. These things were completely out of my control and I shouldn’t let them get the best of me.

The Kindness of Strangers

To add insult to injury when my special gluten-free meal arrived (I have celiac), it was a fish dish. Not only did it smell to high heaven, but I’m also allergic to fish. Things just weren’t coming up roses for me today. When my kind-eyed flight attendant walked by I asked her if there was anything I could buy since I couldn’t eat this meal due to my allergy and couldn’t eat the regular meal due to being a celiac. She took my meal away and came back with a fruit tray. It was her diner, the one she ordered but gave it to me since she could see I was really having a hard day. It was a little touch of kindness that went a long long way in this kind of situation.

I watched a few movies and tried to fall asleep. When I awoke I checked the flight plane and saw we had made up some time in the air and our plane was to arrive about 20 minutes before my connecting flight was set to depart. I had been to Copenhagen airport before but couldn’t’ remember the size of it. But even in some of the smallest airports, 20 minutes to taxi to your gate, disembark and get to your new gate was an impossibility. The man sitting beside me on the plane was also on this connecting flight. We had chatted briefly during the descent and had made a plan to try to run together to our flight if there was a chance of making it. A pack between seatmates!

The pilot came on the PA and made an announcement. He blurted out that upon landing could almost all passengers please not disembark the plane. He asked that they allow the 25 passengers attempting to make the Stockholm connection to deplane first. My flight partner and I looked at each other with a glimmer of hope. But upon landing they announced, instead of our connecting gate number, that we needed to head directly to the customer service counter. Since we didn’t know what this meant I tried to keep a positive attitude.

Run for It!

The second the seat belt light went off my seatmate and I ripped off our belts, grabbed each other’s bags and ran out the plane. We immediately sprinted to the customer service counter, followed by a few dozen of our fellow passengers. When we got there, a surly flight agent told us very curtly that our plane had already left and to please form a line so that we could be rebooked onto other flights. My heart dropped.

All this hope and it had been dashed in one sentence. But I was confused. I looked at the clock on the wall. We still had about 15 minutes until the plane was scheduled to leave. I looked at the bright blue, digital gate sign behind the gate agent. Displaying on the board was our flight, “BOARDING AT GATE B4”. I knew in my heart and in my seasoned traveller brain that planes never left that early. Especially when they still had so many passengers left to arrive. And without thinking I started to run.

Gate B4

Upon seeing me sprint away, my seatmate and a few other passengers started running alongside me. We all caught each other’s eyes and collectively gave each other the look of, “well, let’s give this a try!” The ground sped underneath our feet and we blew by slow-moving passengers carrying bags of Christmas presents. I had worn every single heavy piece of clothing I had packed in order to save space in my luggage so the second I set off I was sweating bullets. We had arrived at the “A” gates so I knew we had to run to an entirely different terminal. But I still didn’t stop. I am not a fit person and running is not my forte. But I kept repeating the name of the gate in my head as I went like a mantra. “B4, B4, B4”. I was making good progress, tracking how many gates I would pass every minute. I thought to myself for a second, I’m going to make it….and then – PASSPORT CONTROL.
“NO!” I thought to myself. This meant talking to an agent and who knows how long that would take. But no one was in line so I ran up to the counter.

The agent at the front took my passport and I just yelled at her out of sheer panic, “STOCKHOLM!” She looked at my passport and then up at me indignantly and said, “...is the captial of Sweden?” I grunted and repeated, “No, no that’s my destination!” She simply shrugged, glanced at my return ticket (which I had printed out and passed to her with my passport) and stamped my passport. I was off again! I saw out of the corner of my eye, my seatmate leaving the EU passport control booth. He smiled at me with an exhausted look and we kept running. I could see our gate coming up in front of my eyes. We had 2 minutes to make it.

And then suddenly, I could see my seatmate’s knapsack start to open as he ran in front of me. I guess all the running had loosened the zippers and everything had started to fall out. I knew if I stopped and helped him I might miss the flight. But as I screamed at him to stop, a stuffed animal in the form of a Canadian moose fell out. I knew I had to be a good Canadian and help him. I stopped and gathered his things in my arms and we kept running together. We rounded the corner to gate B4 and tore up to the gate and screamed, “WE’RE HERE FROM THE TORONTO FLIGHT!” With one minute to spare, I thought we had made it…

An Airport Miracle

The woman at the counter looked at us with a sad expression and said, “Oh you’re the Air Canada passengers? I’m sorry you’ve already been rebooked.” But then I remembered, I wasn’t technically an Air Canada passenger. I had a separate SAS ticket. They might not have even known I was a connecting passenger, just a late arrival. So I exclaimed, “WAIT! I have an SAS ticket!”

The gate agent looked up at me, clearly frustrated, but glanced down at her computer and began typing. Then she glanced back up with a sly smile and said, “Are you the passenger on this booking?” Relief rushed through my body. “Yes, that’s me!” She looked down at my bags. “And you don’t have any checked luggage?” I shook my head and repeated, “No, it’s all with me.” She gave me another wry smile and pressed the red button on her desk to reopen the closed metal gate. “It’s your lucky day. The flight is still loading passengers on the jetbridge. You can get on.”

I collapsed in tears upon hearing these words and must have looked pretty ridiculous. I wandered down the jetbridge in a daze and onto the plane. When I finally sat down in my seat, I turned to my new seatmate and whispered, “Excuse me is this the flight to Stockholm?” He chuckled, “Yes. Oh, do we have a Home Alone situation on our hands?” I laughed and exhaled loudly, “No, I just can’t believe I made it.”

I wiped the dripping sweat off my face and closed my eyes in sheer exhaustion as we took off. When they came down the aisles offering beverages I immediately asked for a huge glass of water. Which of course they don’t have, so they gave me two small plastic cups instead. I honestly think I looked like I had been through hell and back and the flight attendants were just hoping I didn’t have a heart attack on the plane. I watched Copenhagen drift off into the distance as we flew off and felt one of the biggest waves of relief wash through my body.

Arriving in Stockholm

I immediately fell asleep, even though the flight was only 40 minutes, my body didn’t care and just shut right down. I awoke, to the jostling of the landing plane, Swedens’ countryside was splayed out in front of me. I stumbled clumsily off the plane, half from exhaustion half from being so dehydrated from my run. After disembarking I took a moment to sit down with my bags, buy a huge bottle of water and change into something less sweaty.

After catching my breath, I wandered through the Christmas laden gates of Stockholm airport. It felt like walking into a dream. There were twinkle lights everywhere I looked and Chrismas music was playing throughout the airport. After all this stress it felt like a sweet reward. I barely remember anything about how I got from the terminal to the airport bus towards the city. It was like I blacked out in my Christmas stupor.

I took the bus from the airport to the centre of town where I was met by my friend’s wonderful partner (my friend was at work when I arrived and couldn’t pick me). He greeted me with a HUGE smile and a bouquet of flowers. As I got off the bus, he gave me the biggest hug and I collapsed in tears in his arms. He laughed and asked me if I was ok. I laughed through tears of joy and we walked off as I told him the entire tale over Fika in an adorable coffee shop.

What to Learn from this Experience?

Today, this is one of my favourite stories to tell. Was it stressful and dramatic? Yes. But did I learn a lot? Yes. The experience reads like an exaggerated tall-tale but trust me, it did happen just like that. But what can we learn from this experience? Well, here are my top tips for ensuring you don’t miss your flight or what I learned to do if you don’t make it to the gate in time!

Don’t Book Connecting Flight Separately!

Although the booking of the two separate tickets was in the end why I ended up making the connection, I still wish in retrospect I hadn’t. If I had booked my connecting flight together with just one airline, I would have been WAY LESS worried since I would have simply been rebooked on one of the next flights out, which ran throughout the day. The way I had done it, if I hadn’t made that flight, I would have had to either pay for an entirely new ticket, (which would have been very expensive during the Christmas season) or taken the 6-hour train ride in Stockholm (assuming I could even get a seat on there either). Make sure that if you’re booking a connecting flight you do it all on one ticket!

Call in Advance

One thing I learned is that if you know you’re going to miss your flight, you should call the airline in advance to let them know. By doing this you might be able to make a last-minute flight change for a fee (which would be much much cheaper than an entirely new ticket.) The airlines appreciate you calling in advance since they then can open that seat up for a standby passenger. If you’re lucky and ask nicely, they might even waive the fee since you were nice even to give them a courtesy to call in advance.

Flat Tire Rule

There is some evidence that certain airlines have an unofficial “flat tire rule” which they can use at their discretion that allows the ticket agent to rebook your flight at no charge. This wouldn’t work if you’ve just slept in but if you went through something like I did (where its the other airline’s fault) they might be more inclined to use this discretion. Just don’t rely on that happening, but its always worth asking. They might only charge you a rebooking fee or ask you to pay the difference between the new flight and your old one, but either of these options is more than likely still cheaper than a new ticket.

Don’t Risk Short Connections

The other thing I learned was to NEVER book a flight with that short of a layover during the winter seasons. There are always bound to be delays due to the winter weather (at least in the city I live in). As much as you might wanna get to your destination ASAP, a longer layover will just mean you don’t have to worry as much and your trip will feel much more stress-free.

Ditch the Checked Luggage

If you think there might be any chance of missing a flight, be sure to pack carry on luggage only! In the end, having a few fewer clothes is well worth being able to catch the flight. While this is a decision you can’t make at the last minute, it’s just a good piece of advice for travelling altogether.

Talk to Your Flight Attendant

Being kind goes a long way, and I found that asking my flight attendant questions was so helpful. I was sure to do it in a way that didn’t make them feel like I was upset or blaming them. My flight attendant was so helpful in calling ahead to try and see where our gate would be and to check to see if that flight perhaps has been delayed itself (in which case we would have been able to more easily make the connection).

Never Give Up

Lastly? Never give up. Ask questions nicely, people are more likely to be helpful than not that way. And help others even when you’re in crisis yourself. Good karma is never a bad thing to have on your side. The enormity of the stress I felt on arrival just meant that I treasured the rest of the trip so much more. Everything felt like a dream and I just felt so lucky to be there, on time and on budget. Anything that went wrong just slid off my back and I didn’t take it to heart. All that mattered was that I was there, in Sweden, at Christmas, with my friend, and making memories that I will hold in my heart forever!

I’d love to hear your worst travel stories and see what tips or tricks you might have learned from them! I hope you’re all keeping safe and healthy!

The post That Time I Almost Missed My Flight at Christmas and What I Learned! first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

I listed all the different amazon links to these books but I’ve also found that most local libraries have kindle or e-book versions available online. So if you have a library card, your local library might be doing more of these digital downloads to provide readers with more options during the pandemic when most libraries are closed. Also, if you’re local book shops are doing home delivery you should check these out too to help out those small businesses!

An Idiot Abroad: Travel Diaries by Karl Pilkington

Ok, I know this might be a silly one, but it is truly one of my favourite books. I grew up listening to the Ricky Gervais podcast and then went back to the XFM radio show archives and completely fell in love with Karl Pilkington. Karl is unknowingly hilarious and his almost child-like view on the world is so unique. Ricky Gervais produced a television show called An Idiot Abroad with Karl where they sent him all over the world to places he’d never even dreamed of visiting. As a reluctant traveller, Karl has the most opposite opinion to all of us in the travel blogging world and that’s what makes it so funny. While the show is great, I loved the book as it gives a little bit more insight into his mind and also feels like his very own printed travel blog. There are also so charming illustrations and photos from his journeys that are exclusive to the book here which just add to the entire story.

Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky

The Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky is such a charming and beautiful book. In a time when we feel like we’re never going to be able to travel anywhere again, her book brings a new perspective to visiting places in your mind. Judith’s book is all about 50 different islands that she herself has never visited (and never will). But by weaving together various scientific studies and recorded historical events, she manages to create a snapshot of each different island’s personality and character on every page. Each page features a gorgeously drawn cartographic view of the island and a story about it. It’s a wonderful way to learn about these faraway lands from the comfort of your couch!

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

The Bone People was a book I read as an angsty teenager and still to this day love to pick up and read. Its wildly descriptive pages transport you to the shores of pastoral New Zealand. The stories centers around Kerewin, a part-Maori artist, who herself self-isolates (by choice) and loves this isolation. But her life is torn apart when she comes to meets Simon, a mute six-year-old and his foster-father Joe. The book itself is quite emotional and riveting but also is a love story to the South Islands and Maori myths which are so important to New Zeland and its people.

Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders

If you’re looking for a book to pour over and plan future travels and adventures then this is the book for you. While some travel books focus on the most popular and highly regarded travel destinations and attractions, this book focuses on weird, wild, and even slightly odd experiences and collections around the world. This book inspired me to visit a few cities I would have otherwise never thought of travelling to if it were not for the one interesting exhibit or attraction to see there. And once you’re there you’ll find a myriad of other wonderful things to see as well. I treat it as a paper version of a cabinet of curiosities with treasures from all over the world.

In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

I think I left my copy of In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson in Australia, lost on a beach somewhere no doubt. But luckily my library had digital versions of it which I could take out to get my Bill Bryson to fix. Bill Bryson is a comedic travel writer, who brings his unusual personality to his travel experiences and his writing. I had read Bryson’s other books but his book on Australia was the one I loved the most and I treated it like my bible to pour over before I moved to Australia for a year in my 20s. His descriptions of this country on the other side of the world are some of the best representations of what it is like to travel there, so if you can’t go yourself, this is the next best thing!

DaVinci Code Series by Dan Brown

I think almost everyone has a dogeared copy of a Dan Brown book somewhere in their house. Maybe your quirky aunt gave it to you one Christmas and you never got around to reading it. Well, this is the perfect time to pick it up. While I think the overhype for these books in the media might have caused a lot of people to expect more from it than it intends to be, I LOVE these books. Especially for their descriptions of art, history and the cities in which they are set. Don’t take them too seriously and you’ll have such a great time with them! My favourite I think is Inferno, not for the storyline, but his sumptuous descriptions of Venice, Florence and Istanbul!

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

Fear and Loathing is one of those books you can easily read on the porch over a weekend. It’s a frantic and fantastical tale set in Las Vegas in the 1970s. It is a slightly fictionalized account of Thompson‘s experience over one highly drug-fueled week in Las Vegas while trying to get a story. While his descriptions are at times surreal, I think it does a fantastic job of getting across the feeling of Vegas during that time in space. 

A Year in Provence, Peter Mayle

This book was one of the inspirations for my trip to Provence a few years ago. We rented a house in a small, non-touristy town, and although we were only there for two weeks, it was impossible not to imagine moving there for good. Mayle‘s book follows his journey of buying a hundred-year-old farmhouse in Provence and the adventures he encounters throughout his first year of living there. As you can imagine, there are a fair share of mishaps and misadventures but also so many joyful stories which make you wanna just pack up and move to France (after the pandemic of course).

The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell

Before visiting Sweden last year, I dove back into this book. Although not set in Sweden, there is something so interesting about learning about the Scandinavian way of life. The book follows British journalist, Helen Russell throughout her year abroad in Denmark. She wanted to understand why Danes are the happiest people on earth and so she spent a year living Danishly to see why this formula works! Not only is it a great book about another country there are so many things from this book that you can take and apply to your own life, even in quarantine!

Visitors to Versailles

This was a new acquisition to my library when I knew we would be put into self-isolation. I have a few books on the history of Versaille and its architecture and ornamentation but this book focuses on the visitors which have for centuries come to visit the palace. It follows stories of dignitaries and even 18th-century tourists as they came to see this architectural treasure for the first time. It allows the readers to see Versaille through the eyes of these visitors during different eras. It’s a gorgeous coffee table book full of rich photos of the clothing visitors would have worn and even – my favourite part – the souvenirs that visitors came away with even hundreds of years ago.

Vivaldi’s Virgins by Barbara Quick

When I was a little girl I would fall asleep almost every night to a book on tape about Vivaldi and the school he ran for girls in Venice. While that story was meant for children, this book follows the same theme but in a much more grown-up fashion. The book is rich with descriptions of 18th century Venice when the city exploded with new art, music and splendour. The story is a fictional tale of an orphan abandoned at Ospedale Della Pietà, Antonio Vivaldi’s school for music, and her journey to discover where she came from. Throughout the book, she explores the different areas of Venice in her search which allows you to feel like you are on the journey with her and are seeing these visions of Venice for yourself.

Colour by Victoria Finlay

My copy of Colours is so beat up at this point from the many times I’ve read it, but I suppose that is just the mark of a great book! This book details the history of colour through author Victoria Finlay‘s travels around the world. I read it for the first time when I was studying the colour blue for a paper I was writing at school. This history of where colours come from and their symbolic and cultural meaning is so fascinating to me but her descriptions of the places she travels to discover these secrets is one of the best parts of the book. Pure wanderlust.

Let me know if you’ve already read any of these books or what your favourite travel-inspired books are! Looking for anything and everything new to read these days! I hope you are all keeping safe and healthy and doing well!

Happy (imaginary) Travels, Adventurers

The post 12 of the Best Books to Inspire Wanderlust first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

What started as just me watching his journey across America, turned into me watching Dad become a little travel blogger. Even in mico-posts. Reading his commentary of the voyage made me realize where I get all my creativity and drive to share my journeys.

For as long as I have been travelling, I have been writing about it. At first, it was just in notebooks, then as I grew up I started a Livejournal. Then when that folded, I started then a Blogspot account. Now I have thecreativeadventurer.com to share all these memories and moments with the rest of the world. I have always wondered where this desire to write and record came from, and during this horrible pandemic, I think I might have figured it out.

My dad was the first person who really inspired my desire to travel. He travelled all over the world for work, and despite now knowing he probably saw little else than airports and conference rooms, I loved hearing about all the places he would go. When I was 14 he took me with him on a business trip to London. It was my first trip travelling to another continent and, unbeknownst to me, it would be my first time travelling on my own.

When we landed after a red-eye flight, we got to our hotel in Islington and dad handed me a handwritten page of paper which would be my guide to the city. He had meetings all day but still wanted me to be able to go out and experience London for myself. Every single direction was meticulously written down and opened up the city to me like a storybook. I was hooked, and it was his guide that made it so easy for me to explore even as a teen. I think if Dad hadn’t been an accountant, he would have been the Canadian Rick Steves.

Since my dad has a private Instagram account, I asked if he would be ok with him to share some of his stories here with you. He happily agreed and I think that even during this intense time of uncertainty and worry, his little journey across our middle earth is an interesting document of this time in history.

Goodyear, Arizona | 2,475 miles to go

Departure from Goodyear, Arizona. Tough to leave this weather. Returning in the fall? Long drive ahead.

Saguaro Lake | 2,197 miles to go

1st stop at Saguaro Lake, Tonto National Forest. Who knew there was another lake in Arizona!!

Payson, Arizona | 2,141

Pitstop in Payson, Arizona. Lots of elevation gained (and lost). Payson is quaint on old Main Street. Best thing I can see is the magnificent views north to the Mongollon Rim.

Mongollon Rim| 2,116 miles to go

On the Mongollon Rim, near Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. Seems like top of the world (or at least this part). Spectacular vistas. But, I found snow!!!! Too soon.

Over the mesa near Holbrook, Az to the edges of the Painted Desert.

Petrified Forest National Park | 2,063 miles to go

Detour to Petrified Forest National Park. Pretty amazing wood! A very windswept mesa today. The scale of this “forest” is awesome.

New Mexico | 1,949 miles to go

New Mexico, finally!! Red rock has been a constant feature as I neared New Mexico. Crossed the continental divide (7,300 ft elevation) 33 miles before arriving in Grants, NM where I will bunker down for the night in the shadow of Mount Taylor.

El Malpais National Conservation Area | 1,899 miles to go

Detour into El Malpais National Conservation Area as the sun rises in the east. Near the Continental Divide. Long magnificent stretches of sandstone cliffs and wind blasted bluffs. Views of ancient volcanoes and lava flows. And, great view of La Ventana Arch, one of the largest natural arches in New Mexico.

Petroglyphs National Monument | 1,820 miles to go

Visiting the Petroglyphs National Monument. A field day for petroglyphs is here for sure in the Boca Negra Canyon. Nature emulates art for me at one point. Can you find the flute player?

Albuquerque Old Town | 1,815 miles to go

Stop in Albuquerque Old Town to see the historic buildings. Today “ghost town” could be added to “old town”. Despite this, it definitely shows off a variety of the historic west styles.

Old Town Albuquerque – signs and art. Especially for Laura, who enjoys these things (but has a much better eye for it and camera skill!).

Tucumcari | 1,639 miles to go

Tucumcari and historic Route 66. I have been on I-40 for a long stretch now. It follows near or on historic Route 66. I ducked in to Tucumcari where there are known to be a lot of original commercial and heritage buildings that folded after I-40 was built, and some that still struggle to hang on. A fascinating slice of history.

Amarillo, Texas | 1,576 miles to go

On to Texas. Nice greeting sign!! Most amazing fact … 20 miles after entering Texas I encounter commercial energy production. No surprise!?? Well, it’s not oil. A wind farm. Thirty four miles long. I repeat, 34 miles long, all along the I-40. They do ‘em big in Texas.

Shamrock, Texas | 1,437 miles to go

On the way out of town, paused at the U-Drop Inn, another Route 66 anachronism, but still in business. This morning’s light rain and fog helped the neon jump out. You might love the juxtaposition of the two fueling options in the last two pictures – both were available at the U-Drop!!!

Oklahoma | 1,422 miles to go

Into Oklahoma. The fog and rain are trying to prevent my enjoyment of this (new to me) state. I think I am getting the hang of it. Farming. Red soil. New crops. Also found Lucille’s Historic Highway Gas Station. An example of a two story filling station / home combo. Apparently Lucille was a legend in the Great Depression for providing assistance to traveller’s, earning her the nickname “Mother of the Mother Road” (the latter being a reference to Route 66).

El Reno, OK | 1,299 miles to go

Detour to historic Fort Reno in El Reno, OK. Part of the difficult history with the native peoples. Fort Reno was established in the period following General Custer’s roundup of the people at the winter camp of Cheyenne chief Black Kettle. They had no reservation here at the time and one was quickly established and needed a nearby fort, so Fort Reno was built. Now home to several organizations, including the US Calvary Association.

Oklahoma City | 1,272 miles to go

Duck into Oklahoma City to stretch my legs before lunch. Home of the Thunder at Chesapeake Center. Smaller downtown than I expected. Beautiful botanical gardens immediately south of the downtown for a quiet walk.

This purple flowering tree. So, I know this is a repeat but from my observation these trees are not just cultivated, as they were at the OKC Myriad botanical garden. I have seen them all over the place in the region around OKC, sort of like lilacs. Research completed now! They are the Oklahoma Redbud. Their deep purple colour makes them easy to spot, even at roadsides. And, since I have you now and flowers are unlikely in most parts of Canada, I am throwing in some bonus flower photos from around the botanical garden!

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield | 1,001 miles to go

Stopping in Missouri at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, the site of a major battle in the American Civil war and the first in Missouri, apparently also the first with the death of a Union general (Nathaniel Lyon). The battle is so named for the creek in the valley, pictured at the end. The house pictured had a wide view of the battlefield and served as a hospital for the Confederates, who brought Lyon’s body here after the battle. Sadly, this battlefield saw a large loss of life.

Springfield, Missouri | 989 miles to go

Crossed into Missouri this afternoon. Stopped in Springfield. Found “the largest fork in the work” at the offices of The Food Channel. And, more Route 66 history – A Rte 66 car museum; The Gillioz Theater, opened in 1926 to cater to Rte 66 travellers; and, I learned why Springfield is known as the birthplace of Rte 66 (John Woodruff of Springfield first proposed the number for the Chicago to LA highway; he later became the first president of the Rte 66 business association). And, lovely tree blooms. And, no snow!!

Missouri RV Park | 976 miles to go

Missouri rain. Breakfast in the rain this morning, followed by two hours of heavy rain and thunderstorms. Comforting (?) to see the army on the roads keeping me company as I drove. I seem to be moving faster than the storm as I have emerged to stretch my legs. Not sure if I will beat the rain to St. Louis!

Ozarks | 940 miles to go

Detour into the Ozarks. I got ahead of the rain! Quick “scenic” drive into the Ozark outback. Very rural and very, very hilly! Love the Advanced Animal Control covering armadillos!

Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis | 788 miles to go

Stretching my legs at Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis. Internationally recognized as one of America’s oldest and largest sculpture parks. Large number of walking trails. Lightly busy today and everyone social distancing. Rain caught me again just as I left!

Tower Grove Park, St. Louis | 779

Stop in to Tower Grove Park, St. Louis. Apparently it’s a “classical Victorian” style park. Reminds me a bit of High Park in Toronto, but a bit flatter. Opened to the public in 1872. In a perfect spot for me to eat some lunch, although the rain is catching up to me (as you will see). It’s cool today but that hasn’t stopped a lot of lovely bloom and colour, including Hyacinths, Magnolia, Forsythia, and a red berry bush that I am not familiar with. Lots of active social distancers here as well. See if you can spot the red bird (cardinal ?) in the video near the end. Pushing on to Indiana! (John – you should spot Beethoven in here!)

Terre Haute, Indiana| 609 miles to go

Stop at the “Crossroads of America” in Terre Haute, Indiana. Interesting and fun architecture. Love the piano!

Found two unusual things in Terre Haute, Indiana. First, in an alley behind the Verve (a music club and cocktail bar – see prior post) beside the band entrance (marked by the sculpted faces above the entrance) there is a Kcymaerxthaere marker (plaque). Kcymaerxthaere is the name of an alternative universe that is part of a storytelling art project. You can read more about it at Kcymaerxthaere.com.

Second, a short distance east of Terre Haute I found the Smith Memorial Labyrinth, patterned from the Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth in France. The Smith version is meant as a place of reflection in Hawthorne Park. And, it’s 575 paces long (I measured!). Two odd finds in Indiana!!

Gaston, Indiana | 471 miles to go

Waiting for the morning fog to clear (I hope!). Aiming to be in Canada today and home by tonite. Wondering what other travellers I might encounter on the road? So far, I have seen car license plates from 27 states.

Fort Wayne, Indiana | 424 miles to go

Hello to Fort Wayne, Indiana. And, yes, there really was a fort! The first trading post was built here, on the Maumee River in the mid-1600s. The first dirt was built in 1697 to solidify French claim on this region. The current buildings are a reconstruction of the 1800s fort that withstood a siege in the war of 1812. As you can see, being near water brought some of the fog back. Not difficult to be social-distanced with only two geese and me in the park! Spooky views of the Maumee River

Fort Defiance | 379 miles to go

O-H-I-O!! Stop in to Fort Defiance. Must be “fort” day! Dates from 1794 and saw use. In the war if 1812. Nothing left of the fort but the foundations, grassed over. Interesting Canada connection. According to a placed stone marker, “all land north to Canada is surveyed on a baseline from” the point where the Fort Defiance flagstaff sits. Who knew!!

Toledo, OH | 304 miles to go

Fleeing to Canada – reached Toledo, OH. Stopped to stretch legs and nibble some lunch at the Toledo Botanical Gardens. Flower season has not yet arrived but I found a few blooms, including crocuses. I also enjoyed their Artist’s Village and Secret Wood, by myself!

Detroit | 255 miles to go

Detroit, really? Well, it is a fort day and I needed one more leg stretch. Believe it or not, I found Fort Wayne, and it’s not a rerun and it’s not Indiana. It’s in Detroit, by the river. Wayne is just a mighty popular guy. This fort was closed today, other than a few buildings. Built in the early 1840s when the Americans feared their relations with Britain might lead to a British attack. Didn’t happen, but the fort was re-manned in 1861 when the Americans feared a Canadian (really British) attack during the Civil War. OK, time to put The Canadian border at Sarnia into the GPS!!!

The Bridge to Canada | 297 miles to go

This is it! There is the bridge to Canada. But, am I ready?

Gassed up (check). Car cleaned and last of Arizona fruit chucked (check). Documents in hand, literally (check). Wait – does that unshaven, bed head face really resemble me (check?!). Yeah, but those Arizona plates won’t help! What will? Thankfully I have stored messages from family and friends to offer up. And, the clincher – the tattoo on my hand!! Here I go….

Sarnia Border | 187 miles to go

BACK IN CANADA!!!!

Pinery provincial park | 149 miles to go

Heading home – now by the eastern shores of Lake Huron, passing The Pinery provincial park. Many family memories here. Sadly, in the circumstances, it is closed.

Flesherton, ON | 29 miles to go

Nearing home in the southwestern Ontario countryside – a nice little restaurant in Flesherton, ON that Pam and I quite enjoy. Sadly, and understandably, closed.

Collingwood | 0 miles to go

I have arrived. After logging 3,960 km (2,475 miles) this home is a sight for weary eyes, even if there is still snow! Let the 14 day quarantine begin!

I know these are weird times, but maybe this little journey brought a smile to your face and made you think about all those beautiful things that are still out there in the world. We’ll be able to enjoy them someday soon, but until then, let’s virtually explore this great world of ours!

The post Travelling Home During Coronavirus first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

When I turned 30, it was a like a switch got flicked. Things took me longer; I was more tired and suddenly didn’t feel like I could do everything. Other travellers who went through a similar change were super helpful in setting new goals and changing my expectations. So I wanted to document this for myself here so others can learn from me and my experiences with travel as I got older.

Accommodations get an upgrade

Travelling in my 20s meant searching for the cheapest hotel or hostel. Often these would be in not-so-good locations, far out from the centre of town. And while I still managed to find some great deals and pretty decent hotels, for the most part, they weren’t always the stuff of dreams. In Australia, I will never forget walking into our hostel and seeing a dead mouse in the centre of the room and knowing we had no choice but to stay there. So we cleaned up the mouse ourselves and just tried to pretend that it never happened.

In my 30s, especially now that I travel almost always with my partner, our hotel choices are much more appealing. There are no dead animals on the floor, and most of the time, these accommodations are in prime locations in the city, close to the action without being overbearingly touristy. Airbnb has also changed the game in terms of places to stay.

Bn’Bs over Bunkbeds

Now I can find quirkily themed apartments for rent that feels more like staying in a secret playhouse than they do a sterile hotel. In my 30s, I’ve travelled enough to know the truth from the BS and how to read a listing or review of a hotel for those key signals that this isn’t a great place to stay. Proof positive of this was on my last trip to Mexico City. We had initially booked a fantastic hotel for a GREAT price in a popular neighbourhood.

But the more and more I read about the area of town and dug deeper into the reviews, the more I realized that despite it being such an awesome price and having 5-star reviews, it was located in a super touristy and busy area that completely shut down at night. We opted to cancel that reservation (thank you, free cancellations on Expedia!) and rebooked a different hotel in a smaller bohemian neighbourhood which felt safe, quaint and picturesque. I’m glad I went with my gut as I recalled when I had stayed in a similar area, and it just wasn’t for me. For others, this might be the perfect place for you, but for me, I knew it wouldn’t be a good fit.

You take your time

In my 20s, my friend and I would book a two-week vacation in Europe to see 4-5 different cities. We would be up at dawn to get to the next town in time to still fit in some sightseeing before everything closed. Then onto the next location. We carefully planned what we ABSOLUTELY had to see and made sure to make that a priority, but there wasn’t much time left to explore and meander. We would have loved to spend more time in each city, but our budget didn’t allow it back then. It seemed like a waste of an expensive international flight not to try and see as many cities as we could while on this new continent.

These days, although my time for leisure travel has been reduced, I choose to spend my week’s vacation in one place instead of rushing from country to country. I list a few AREAS to explore instead of a list of singular sights. This means I can spend an entire day just in one spot, discovering things I never found online, and therein I get to share that with all of you, readers!

I have NOTHING against jam-packed travel itineraries since they allowed me to discover which countries I liked most and didn’t like when I was younger, but now that I’m older, I merely prefer this kind of slow-travelling.ein I get to share that with all of you readers! I have NOTHING against jam-packed travel itinerary since it indeed allowed me to discover which countries I liked most and didn’t like when I was younger, but now that I’m older I merely prefer this kind of slow-travelling.

Visiting those costly cities isn’t out of the questions

When travelling in your 20s, you’ll often research “the cheapest cities in Europe to visit.” These traditional, less expensive cities mean you can have a fantastic time but still pinch those pennies. As you age, cities like New York, Paris and Singapore suddenly become viable options. It wasn’t until I turned 30 that I could FINALLY afford to travel to Japan; it was a life-changing trip! Cities with a cheaper cost of living are often well-suited to being younger. Places like Thailand, Mexico and Greece all feel more adventurous and perfect for younger travellers. While the more expensive destinations usually have a more refined and mature atmosphere, making them a comfortable place to go as you age.

Free time is harder to come by

I had this idea when I was young that when I grew up, I could afford all these amazing trips where I’d travel for months on end! But the problem with ageing is that your responsibilities at work and in your personal life seem to get in the way of just up and leaving to travel the world. Work barely enabled me to take two weeks off for my honeymoon, and when I got back, I felt the full force of being away. The idea of a “sabbatical” isn’t the norm anymore as more and more people aren’t staying with companies for years.

In your 20s, you have the time to take off for a few months between school semesters as long as you’ve worked your butt off during the school year making money. Or better yet, you might have the chance to do a year abroad and see more of the world that way. But when you get into your 30s, you have a career, not just a job. There is no longer a “summer break” unless you’re lucky enough to be a teacher. Those few weeks of vacation you get (if you get any paid leave at all!) are very precious, and you really learn to appreciate every second of your travels. It’s perhaps for this reason that you’ll find yourself spending more money to stay in a more central area hotel, lessening the amount of commuting you’ll have to do.

You have more confidence

I have learned A LOT about travelling since my first trip overseas. My dad was going there on business and traded in a first-class ticket for two economies and took me with him. What I didn’t know what that when we got there, he would be busy the entire time (although I probably should have assumed this), and I would be all on my own. I clutched the notes and directions he made for me like they were my lifeline and ended up making many mistakes but falling in love with the experience of travelling. Nothing prepares you for the pitfalls of severe jet lag like living through it. No dry runs or hypothetical conversations can give you insight into what to do when you lose your passport.

I remember not trusting my gut and being roped into a scam or tourist trap. Or I knew it was a trap and was too shy to speak up. Although I always feel like I’m learning, I’m definitely braver and more confident as a traveller than when I was 20. I speak up when I feel like something is wrong, or I know well enough not even to venture into something which feels too good to be true. I’ll call a waiter on his added “tourist taxes” or go out of my way to get a uber instead of a sketchy taxi that is bound to rip me off.

Travelling Alone

The other thing which I feel more confident about is travelling alone. Sometimes you and your partner or friends just can’t get your schedules to match up. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still head out on an adventure by yourself. Dining alone doesn’t have to be scary; it can be an opportunity to meet new people. You get to do exactly what YOU want to without any compromises. Being alone when travelling is a chance for you to reconnect with yourself in ways you don’t have the opportunity to do otherwise.

You know who your real friends are

I have travelled with many different groups of friends and partners throughout my life. And nothing tests a relationship like travelling. Travel is truly incredible, but it also involves lots of stress, compromise, exhaustion, problem-solving and more which can weigh on those relationships. When you’re in your 20s, I feel like you’re more optimistic. You feel like you go on those trips with the best intentions and optimism. New friendships feel fresh and exciting and travelling with new friends can be the best idea.

You think you don’t have a history, so you don’t have the chance of negativity from the past influencing the trip. But it also means you don’t know their personality, travel style, or financial constraints. I travelled all over the world with one good friend, who I’m still proud to call my best friend today. We never fought, always understood each other’s likes and dislikes and also learned that sometimes that means having a day apart instead of dragging the other to do things they don’t want to.

Other travel companions fell by the wayside, either due to us drifting apart or often just because we didn’t get along as travellers. In my 30s, quality time with my partner or friends is some of the best advantages of travelling together. When you get older, you have less and less time to spend with your friends, and this intimate occasion is a great way to reconnect.

You appreciate travelling with your family

Speaking of time to reconnect, let’s talk about family. When you’re in your 20s, there is nothing worse than being forced into a family trip. Maybe you’re itching to be independent and feel like this is holding you back. Perhaps you just want to have a romantic trip with your new partner, or maybe you want to let loose and party! For me, it was probably the independence that I appreciated most about travelling without my family. I felt so grown up and independent when I turned 2, even though, looking back, I totally wasn’t.

I still lived with my family in my 20s, and being away from them felt like freedom. Now, in my 30s, this couldn’t be further from the truth. I adore spending so much time with my parents and siblings, even my in-laws. As an adult (or as close to one as I can get), I get to spend time with them on a different level. Travelling helps you learn about people you might not otherwise discover.

I had such a great time travelling with my aunt, whom I’d otherwise not see outside of the holidays. Seeing her in this environment was so cool, and I feel like I got to know her more as a person rather than just a family member. The older you get, the less and less time you realize you have left with your parents, and I know I want to try and make those moments count for me.

You eat incredibly well

I’ve always been a pretty savvy traveller and found local cuisine at low prices, so I’ve never found myself eating at McDonald’s for three days straight just to save money. There are always little pubs, cafes and restaurants which serve amazing meals for low prices if you know where to look. But there is no way that when I was 20, I’d have been able to afford to eat at the various Michelin Star restaurants I’ve been so lucky to have been able to dine at now that I’m in my 30s. I’ve eaten some of my most exquisite, transcendent meals in my 30s. But even outside those “one-in-a-lifetime meals,” eating in your 30s means you might not have to be as rigorously diligent about checking menu prices.

Chances are your budget might not be so rigid, and you can generally find places to suit your tastes and budget anywhere you are. I don’t want to make this sound like I’m super rich and can eat expensive meals daily; that’s far from the truth. I’m one of the biggest cheapskates when it comes to eating out, and I still gasp at cocktails which cost $25. But in my 30s, I’ve learned to appreciate fine dining a little bit more and can afford to indulge in that from time to time.

You have a better idea of what kind of travel you like

In my 20s, I wanted to travel to all the most famous travel cities without ever thinking about if they were somewhere I’d enjoy or not. I wanted to tick those “top 10 destinations” off my bucket list (at least the ones I could afford).

And while I think I learned a lot about places I didn’t like as much as I did, I would if I could go back and change a few plans. I think I would have thought more about what I wanted and less about where people told me I NEEDED to visit. Bohemian artsy cities drew my gaze instead of glass metropolises. I also noticed that some European cities felt very similar, and I now go out of my way to visit places markedly different than other cities.

In your 30s, you are more steadfast in your likes and dislikes, and this greatly impacts where you want to travel. Everyone was so surprised when I visited Mexico City last year, but honestly, it was one of the best trips of my life. There is nowhere as bright and colourful as Mexico City, and despite everyone’s scare tactics about Mexico, we felt perfectly safe everywhere we went.

Time to relax is more important than seeing it all

When you’re 20, there aren’t too many enormous, unavoidable stresses or time vacuums in your life. School and relationships might have their ups and downs, but nothing compared to careers or, even more than that, kids. Vacations, especially those without kids, become your only opportunity to relax and unwind with your partner or perhaps with your friends. Those precious vacation days mean more than just a chance to travel somewhere new; it means a moment to catch your breath.

You might find that you can’t and don’t even want to go-go-go; you want to take things slow, to enjoy a coffee in peace and quiet for once. Maybe the kind of travelling you do changes. I’ve never been one for all-inclusive resorts, but I found myself considering one for the first time in 33 years just to get away somewhere warm where I didn’t even need to think about my schedule every day. While I still opted not to do this, I, for the first time, really did understand why people are drawn to those types of vacations.

You realize you can’t keep up with your younger self

When I took my first trip at 30, I went about it much like I always did. I got up at the crack of dawn and went as hard as possible to fit as much into my day before night. Very quickly into that first day, I realized that wouldn’t work for me anymore. For the first time in my life, I let someone convince me to take it easy, to go back to the hotel for a nap before heading out again in the evening.

And let me tell you, that nap felt impossibly amazing. I woke up feeling refreshed, not worried about the things I didn’t see or missed out on, but with a renewed sense of adventure for the rest of the evening. I definitely wear out more easily these days. That means not ticking off all the boxes on the bucket list. But feeling healthy and happy is more important than seeing it all. As you grow, you realize that it’s not about how many things you see but how you see them. How you let even those few memories and sights itch themselves into your heart and your mind.

Technology has changed

I remember when I was in my 20s, the first thing we’d do when we’d arrive in a new city was hit up the tourist information for a town map. We carried these paper maps with us everywhere we went, and by the end of the trip, they were half disintegrated from being overly used. Now and again, we’d print off a few Mapquest directions to and from different pre-planned destinations. If we got lost, there was nothing to do other than ask for direction or backtrack as best we could.

Nowadays, most big cities have free wifi all over the place, roaming is getting cheaper and cheaper on most phone plans, and there are even portable wifi devices where you can bring the internet with you. There is almost no chance of getting lost or needing to read a map. This saves a lot of time and confusion, but it’s also a little sad. I feel like staring into my phone to get the perfect route to my destination is a bit disconnected. I always challenge myself to use those old paper maps from time to time and still ask locals for directions when I get lost instead of immediately reaching for my phone.

Sleep isn’t optional

When I was young, I loved saving money by travelling when I should be sleeping. This meant overnight trains, buses and flights. I loved planning around these overnight journeys since it felt like winning free money I’d otherwise have had to spend on a hostel or hotel. I didn’t care how tired or uncomfortable I was. I’d chug down a few cups of coffee and be able to ride out the rest of the day with no problem. These days, I’m lucky even to get eight hours and not feel the sting of exhaustion by mid-afternoon. I still miss the money-saving opportunities of the overnight trains, but I don’t miss the fatigue.

While I might miss certain aspects of being young, I love getting older. I feel more connected to myself and, therefore, to my travels. I feel like I travel better, deeper and more comfortable physically and emotionally. What shifts did you see in your travels as you got older? If you’re still in your 20s, what other questions do you have for this ol’ “senior” about travel in your 30s? Let me know in the comments!

Happy travels, Adventurers!

The post 13 Ways Travelling the World in your 30s is Different than in your 20s first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

I hear it all the time. “I can’t go there! I don’t want people to think I’m a tourist!” Like that’s the worst thing in the world? There are hundreds of blogs and articles on the internet titled Non-Touristy Things to Do in Such and Such City. And fair enough, there probably are some on this blog too. Travellers want more and more to stand out less and less, which is understandable. No one wants to stick out a like a sore thumb or be that obnoxious visitor with their selfie stick swinging wildly in peoples faces. But what happens when you blend in too much or avoid places which you might think are “too touristy”?

Remember, most places are touristy for a reason! Attractions that are special, unique and one of a kind draw people in from all over the world because it’s something they can’t find at home. Sometimes the tourists visiting might just be from the town an hour down the road, but where they’re going feels like a different world to them. If all you want to do is find a dive bar or coffee shop frequented by locals, you might have a great time but miss out on something extraordinary.

And the truth is, despite new low-cost airlines, not everyone gets to travel frequently. Those “digital nomads” have the luxury of time to explore every inch of a particular country AFTER they’ve seen all the iconic sites. But some people don’t have the money to travel to the same destination every year or the vacation time to spend in one place for a month. Some people are lucky to get a week off all year, and they want to use it the best way they can. And if you’re only going to be able to visit Australia ONCE, you darn tootin’ should see the Sydney Opera House and go to a kangaroo zoo to pet one of those unique creatures! Yes, it’s the picture everyone gets, but once again – why do you think that’s the case?

I think we need to help redefine what it means to be a tourist instead of hiding from the term. Embrace it, but be a good one. Help make it less taboo. Be friendly and curious, yet respectful and trusting of the place you’re visiting. Find a balance between going to famous places and dipping your toe into a local hole in the wall where you can’t speak the language. Locals will help you navigate your way through new culinary treats!

In the age of Airbnb, there is a sense that staying in a hotel has become a pedestrian way of travelling. That is, by staying in a hotel, you aren’t embracing the city in the same way. Like you’re copping out. There are some fantastic rental apps out there where you can find some incredible homes or apartments to stay in while visiting, but more and more, these services are creating huge issues for the locals you’re trying to blend in with. Rent is skyrocketing in places like New York and San Francisco partially due to Airbnb. Hotels have never caused such issues. So while it might feel more authentic, you need to be aware that your “authentic, non-touristy” experience might be causing huge problems for the people you’re trying to engage with. 

Culture shock is real. If the comfort of a hotel with familiar amenities and a concierge who speaks English makes you more at ease, why pass that up just for the sake of looking cool? If you don’t want to stay at a chain hotel, there are hundreds of boutique or independent apartment-style hotels you can reserve instead. Often the draw of an Airbnb is that they’re located outside the dense tourist areas, but these days you can find incredible luxury accommodations in parts of the city you’d never expect (and usually for half the price of staying at a chain hotel in the centre of town).

If you want to avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed by other visitors, don’t just skip it all together. Try not to miss out on things that are meaningful to you just because you’re worried about doing something everyone else is too. There’s probably a good reason there are so many people there. What you can do is be strategic!

Tips on the best day/time to arrive to avoid the crowds or secrets to skipping the line altogether are all over the internet (a few of them right here on this very blog!). Some busy attractions have lesser known entrances with shorter lines. When I visited the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, we walked right past a queue of hundreds of people standing in the hot sun waiting to buy a ticket. All I had to do was buy my ticket in advance a month before we left for our trip. When we walked in, the crowds from outside were nowhere to be seen. Sure, there were tourists inside, but since they control the number of people who enter at any given time, it still felt peaceful and it was one of, if not THE, most incredible pieces of architecture I’ve ever seen.

Another great tip to be an engaged tourist is to hire a local guide! They will take you to all those iconic sites you don’t want to miss out on and tell you all about them based on their own experiences. Yes, you’ll be walking down the same Charles Bridge in Prague frequented by thousands of tourists every day, but no one gets to hear the same story you’ll be listening to as you walk down it. One of the most memorable guided tours I took was in Budapest with a very passionate guide who told us story upon story, including his family’s history and how all the political uprisings affected the people of Hungary over the years. You can’t get that kind of stuff in the guidebooks. Larger, organized guided tours are fantastic too, but having a 1-on-1 relationship with your guide for the day will allow you to ask more questions and learn more about the place you’re visiting.

So go ahead, be a TOURIST. Embrace the word. Fill it with all your own meanings and interpretation. Be inquisitive, fill that bucket list, don’t be afraid to ask questions or make mistakes. Engage with the city, the people and the culture. Take your photo holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, smooch under the Eiffel Tower and cross the street with friends on Abbey Road. Do it your way, for yourself and don’t worry about anyone else.

…Just don’t eat at the Hard Rock Cafe.

The post It’s Okay to Be a Tourist. first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.