Why Slow Traveling Is a Better Way to Go
Why Slow Traveling Is a Better Way to Go
Traveling is on the top of many, many people’s list of things to do. And it is no secret that travel can be an expensive activity. So when you finally get the chance, you want to do it right. Like, really right. Right? Everyone wants to get the most out of their time off, and their vacations. How do you do that? Slow traveling. Spending time in one place for longer opposed to bouncing around to many different locations. In short, we are going for quality over quantity. Below, you will find the long of it.
Just for a slower rhythm of life. Vacation and travel is supposed to be enjoyable. By staying in one place for longer, you give yourself and your body a chance to really slow down. You don’t necessarily have to be in bed by 10pm, or sleep in until noon each day, but there is also no need to scramble out at the crack of dawn either. Slowing down means having that second cup of coffee in the morning, stopping to admire that magnificent garden you stumbled across, or enjoying that dessert and after dinner cocktail because gosh darn it, you want to. You will be able to avoid the exhaustion that can come with go go going on a trip.
To become a regular at your favorite spot. This is one that you may not consider when traveling. But in the famous words of the Cheers song, “sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name”. These restaurants, bars, and even bookstores can be so welcoming and warm. You can have wonderful conversations with new people, and this may also be the moment when you get great recommendations for only locally known hot spots. Imagine being able to go home and boasting that you have a friend that lives in Ireland.
Get to know the city better. When sticking around for longer, you really get a sense of the place you’re visiting. You get to find out what kinds of things the locals think are important, where their money is being spent, and what they enjoy doing. When traveling you usually don’t have time to see everything you’d like to, but this way you can see so much more. Each neighborhood within a city can have very different things to offer. You’ll have more time to hop around and explore all the nooks and crannies which really demonstrate the character of each place.
Get comfortable with public transportation. Getting around a city is a major part of traveling and it’s definitely something you have to get the hang of. By staying in a city a little longer than usual you can get very comfortable with the buses and trains, making life a lot easier. It feels liberating not having to constantly be checking if you are in the right area or going the right direction.
Get to see the many different sides of a city. One of the things I find so fascinating is how different a city can be on the weekends opposed to the week days. Week days are always a great time to hit the tourist spots because they will likely be less busy, and you might get to enjoy them more. But for some cities all of the really fun stuff happens during Saturday and Sunday. There are often famous markets to get lost in, concerts to attend, and special events to check out.
You can always go on short day trips. Though traveling can be so much fun, it no doubts gets tiring lugging your bags around, especially if you’re jet setting to a new location every other day. Having a home base where you can take your things out of your suitcase and stay awhile is so nice. Almost every destination in the world has plenty of short day tours and excursions to enjoy. This allows you to see and experience many things in an area, while having a familiar place to lay your head at night.
At Venture Road, we proudly offer our Road Warriors (as we like to call them) a full 4 weeks in the location of their choosing. Upon arrival, they will be paired with a local family, with whom they will spend their time with getting to know every inch of the city. They have the opportunity to see how daily life flows, break bread, and see the city as a true local does. They will participate in serving the community, and explore on weekly excursions. This experience ensures that the participants gets as much out of the program as possible. Our travelers return home with a new family abroad, and a new profound love for a city that doesn’t feel like they just arrived in.
“Why Slow Traveling Is a Better Way to Go” was written by Jillian Salazar
Jillian Salazar is an avid traveler from Colorado, USA. She studied abroad in Madrid, Spain and discovered that being on the road long term was definitely for her. In early 2017, she dropped everything, left Denver, and has now been traveling consistently for about a year and a half. Her goal is to show at risk youth, that traveling is an option regardless of where you come from. In October, she will be embarking on her biggest adventure to date- The 500 mile Camino de Santiago. You are welcomed to follow her travels on her personal blog @ ajillianmiles.com.