Stamps in My Passport

Have you ever noticed there’s a difference between those who visit a destination with a tourist mindset and limit their options by only visiting the top touristy spots, never broadening their search or branching out past the best known locations VS those that want to be immersed and truly experience the culture, meet locals, seek to find unknown places and hidden gems & really surround themselves with everything the destination has to offer?

Of the 2, what kind of traveler do you resonate with more? For me, I’m definitely the latter! I always spend hours and hours researching, hunting for the lesser known locations, best kept secrets and hidden gems of every location I visit. Sometimes that involves spending countless hours reading books, blogs, websites and doing google map searches of a destination in order to find those diamonds hiding (often in plain sight!) and hole in the wall places off the beaten paths. So what about you, are you someone who loves to dig and do the leg work required to find those once in a lifetime incredible places/views/experiences?? If so, read on to learn more tips & insights how I do my research and plan for upcoming trips.

Tip number 1- If one of your main goals is to blend in and mingle with the locals you will need to do a little research to find the places that locals frequent. They’re usually off the beaten path, away from the hubbub and busy touristy areas and most often they’re amazing discoveries that most other visitors won’t know about (one of the best perks- this usually ensures you have less crowds to deal with, provides a more authentic experience & guarantees you’ll have a one of a kind trip). Whenever we travel this is what we aim for. To blend with the locals, to not stand out as a tourist, taking the roads less traveled, stepping away from the crowded areas and enjoying all the new places we usually have all to ourselves! Not to worry about the hustle and bustle and to leave our worries behind while we get lost in the moment, embrace the beauty of the environment & culture around you. Taking your time to savor and relish the location, the sights, the sounds and scents that envelop you while they plant deep in your memory bank and lock the emotions and memories tucked away for safe keeping, ready to be retrieved whenever a similar scent, sight or photo stirs the memory back to the surface. *Some of the best places for this research are a Pinterest search, travel magazines, blog posts (similar to this one ;)), google searches and travel guides/books that are usually available at your local library.

Tip number 2- One of the best ways to blend in and reduce your chance of being targeted by pickpockets is to look like you belong, to resemble a local. By doing some research to learn the current styles & fashion trends you will greatly reduce that risk.**If you’re traveling internationally you’ll want to refrain from wearing baseball caps, collegiate tees/sweatshirts & men should refrain from tank top style shirts- those are clear signs that you’re not a local and tend to mark you as an easy target for pickpockets. Depending on the destination you may also want to research weather appropriate outfits, the types of terrain you’ll encounter, activities you’ll participate in & guestimate how many miles/steps you plan to walk every day in order to determine the wardrobe essentials needed for your trip. The best way to do that is google searches, Instagram/Facebook searches, and blogs written by locals. Study their current trends and then shop your closet to see what you already have that you can use to curate a similar aesthetic. Some of my top tips would be to take snapshots/screenshots when you see a look you like and create a file or list of items you’d like to add to your travel wardrobe. In the states: Head to shops like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross Dress for Less, Target and look online at Amazon to look for those items, they always have so many fun options & help keep costs down. Another one of my favorite spots to look is at local boutique & vintage resale shops, they are treasure troves and I always walk away with a few great deals on items I can’t wait to bring on upcoming trips. **Also, I’d highly recommend only carrying the amount of cash that is needed for the day (and leaving the rest in the safe of your accomodations or somewhere safe) while you’re out and a bout to minimize risk of loosing all your cash. Men, carrying your wallet in front pocket or a zippered pocket might deter pickpockets, but a money belt is even better. Women, there are all sorts of travel safe bags (https://amzn.to/49zOmDJ I use these travelon bags every time I travel and have never had an issue-e(ven while on the crowded metro and other public transportation or walking around Paris France, Mexico, NYC, Washington DC, Athens Greece, Philladelphia, London England, etc). Ultimately though, you may not even need cash and might be able to travel with just a credit card or apple pay/credit card info saved in your “phone wallet” feature on your phone or by using the tap to pay feature on your phone or watch.

Tip number 3- Make a capsule wardrobe to help minimize your items & reduce the weight of your luggage making it easier to travel on a lengthy trip, visit multiple destinations and easier to manage carting around. When you’ve collected your items, work with them to create a capsule wardrobe using the grid method (3 blocks across, down, vertical, horizontal and criss cross. See sample grid below for inspiration. The options for mixing & creating outfits are countless! Don’t forget to choose shoe options that are versatile and go with most or all of your outfits. Try to pair down from that list as much as possible to make your packing easier, luggage lighter and your back/shoulders thankful when you arrive (especially if traveling to Europe & traversing over uneven cobblestones/bricks/rocky paths).

Tip number 4- Invest in good travel day gear. You’ll need a comfy travel outfit complete with comfortable and practical shoes. Some of the best travel outfits I’ve worn have been curated with items from TJ Maxx & Amazon finds. *Travel Essentials Post coming soon with all the details of my favorite travel outfit items, where to find them and other travel recommendations. As a gal who traveled cross-country and transatlantic flights back to back multiple times in 2023 take it from me, you will want to invest in a set of good noise reducing headphones, an eye mask, a comfort essentials like: compression socks, a good supportive neck pillow, snacks, a reausable water bottle, a light layer to keep warm if plane or airport is chilly, medications & vitamins/OTC medicine in easy access, easily accessible entertainment options (fully charged phone/ipad/laptop/ebook reader etc with downloaded options), cables/chargers and such easily accessible, a pack of tissues, hand sanitzer & sanitizing wipes to clean off your seat area/tray table etc prior to take off.

Tip number 5- Print out a travel itinerary that incorporates all the details you will need for your trip to be a success. Include Acommodation information, key addresses/contacts, photocopies of important documents (passports you should have copies front and back, and stored separately from your passport on hand incase it’s lost or stolen), entry time info, tickets/arranged entry times/prior arranged activities and entertainment tickets, a map or two of the area, and a detailed list of each destination broken down by each days planned activities/stops/restaurant locations/opening & closing times for key locations/museums/activities etc. All of these things will help to lessen your stress, minimize the amount of research you will do once you arrive, keep you on track & organized and help ensure you reach the destinations at the top of your must see lists.

Do you travel with an organized plan of attack or are you more likely to try and wing it when you arrive? Both ways can be successful, but I’ve experienced the stress, chaos, overwhelm, disorder, and frustration that comes from not having a plan. It is such a time waster to spend hours of your day having to look things up when you’re finally in your dream destination because you didn’t spend the time to do it beforehand and you arrive unprepared. I’m of the mindset that an orderly and well thought out plan provides the essential key to a smooth & successful trip. Sure you can make memories you’ll laugh at later (like missing the last train for the day and ending up stranded somewhere, losing the opportunity to visit a once in a lifetime event/show or activity because it wasn’t researched beforehand to learn what was needed to book the tickets/reserve the time slots/hours etc.) or skip that headache and spend some time prior to the trip doing a little leg work so you can relax and just enjoy the vacation once you arrive in the destination. If you’re not a planner and spending time researching isn’t your thing, don’t worry. I’ve got you covered! With thorough research & countless hours organizing, my itineraries have thought through the contingencies, listed the best routes to visit destinations (to help minimize zigzagging back and forth across a busy city or spread out destinations), researched multiple top reviewed restaurants and provide suggestions or recommendations for acomodations based on my own stay/visit to the area. Head to the Itineraries tab and check out some of the available Itineraries now to help you start planning your dream trip. *More Itineraries will be added all the time so check back often!

~Until next time, happy travel planning & adventuring!