Setbacks

Reading this article from LP got me thinking.

From the article:

Travel should involve just a little struggle, a few annoyances, a bit of frustration.

Queuing for overcrowded buses, sleeping in smelly dorms, spending hours guarding packs on cold railway platforms these are all part of the complex mix of excitement, boredom and hassle that makes seeing the world such a joy.

...Throwing yourself into confusing and confronting situations and seeing how you cope, is what makes life, and travel worth experiencing.

These sentences sum up my general travel outlook.

The way I see it is, no setback during your travels is so grand that you can't endure it. Take Machu Picchu. At no point during the hike did I think, "Man this feels awesome!" It didn't. The first day sucked, the second day was no better, and by the last day, I was a bearded, constipated mess.

But the point is, I survived. With tales to tell. With pictures and memories to share.

I'm not asking you, Fellow Traveler, to actively look for difficult situations in your trips. They'll be sure to find you. And I'm not saying that all travel is difficult, because even the hard-core travel junkies need respite.

What I am suggesting is that when you do find yourself stranded at the airport, or late for your overnight train, take a deep breath and relax. You'll pull through it. These things come with the territory. They teach you patience. They build character.

As much as traveling connects you with the world, it connects you with yourself too.

New Year's Travelution

It's great to start the new year with a plan.

When you travel, it's no different. You must have a plan. A New Year's Travel Resolution, or a Travelution. This is important.

And while it's great to plan where you want to go, Travelutions should also include how you would like to travel better. Ways to make your journeys richer and more life-giving.

My Travelution for 2008 goes something like this:

- More wandering. Just take a day or two and just get lost. But not totally lost that you find yourself helpless. That's irresponsible. But I mean taking the time to explore a place. To not be bound by a rigid itinerary.

- Chat with the locals. Or at least try. So many times I regret not conversing with random strangers. Sure, this SOUNDS scary, but they're people like you and me. And who knows what might happen?

- Day trips. Southern California is perfect for day trips. Of course being out for the day can be very very tiring. But it's always good to get away once in a while.

- Be the sponge. That is, soak up the scenery. Truthfully, I'm not a very active traveler, meaning I don't like hurrying from place to place, filling every second with activity because I can't waste a second. I like to take things in, people-watch, enjoy the views. I'm not on the Amazing Race. I'll take my time, thanks.

Hopefully I can follow through with this year's travelution. And I hope you do too...

Undiscovered

From: Gadling.

10 Undiscovered Locations.

I LOVE reading stuff like this. The list has places all over. Several from Europe, a couple in Asia, even one in the US.

Where the heck is Escatada??

Now I have MORE places to add to my list of places to explore. Sweet.

Tips

A reprieve from all the Peru craziness to bring you 51 tips for international travel, brought to you by the L.A. Times.

Among my favorites:

- In China, don't go on and on about Taiwan.

- In Cuba, don't say you hope things never change.

- In Canada, don't pretend to be Canadian.

- In Singapore, don't do a lot of things.

These are all good to know. I'm always busting out my Canadian accent (eh??), so I guess I should dial it down when I'm north of the border...

...and maybe I should take Singapore out of my itinerary.