The Reason I Travel
When I sat down to think about what to write about for my first blog post, I asked myself the question, why do I like to travel? I had never thought of defining it before. For me, travel has always been about a feeling that drums up inside. The anticipation of an adventure, the excitement in planning, but more than anything the experience that will be had while away. I guess then I would have to break it down into five categories: Experience, Food, Drinks, People, and Sights.
The Experience:
From years of travel, the one thing that is always consistent is to expect the unexpected. Don’t get me wrong, planning and research help and are essential, but sometimes throwing plans out the window or getting lost is half the fun.  No matter what speed you are traveling at, be sure to take the time to stop and take it all in. How do the locals interact? What does the city sound like at night and in the day? What scent permeates the air? It seems simple, but sometimes I have to remind myself to slow down and take a minute.
The Food:
Oh man, my mouth is watering already! My first tip, as a general rule, is to try and avoid places with photos on the menus posted outside. These are geared for tourists, and you probably won’t see any locals eating there. Now, my husband tends to become ‘Snickers’ when he is hungry, and more than once we have ended up at a tourist spot with mediocre food while trying to search for the restaurant we had in mind. We now try to grab a snack along the way, or just stop for a beer and appetizer and keep searching for our original destination.
My second tip: eat the local cuisine. The terroir of a region, customs, etc., all play into how the food tastes. If the restaurant has specials of the day or specialties of the house, that is probably a safe bet. Of course, there will be great restaurants that are not country-specific cuisine, and there is nothing wrong with eating there, just advice from our experience.
The Drinks:
I’m not going to lie, Fernando and I like to drink. We really enjoy trying the local beer and any drinks special to the region. While we are not the type of couple to go to clubs, we do like to find a restaurant or lounge to have a break, people watch and take in the scenery. Currently, my favorite spots to try and find? Rooftop bars. If the drinks are overpriced, we will move on after a drink, but it is always fun to go up for the view.
The local beer of a country will always be the most economical alcoholic beverage on the menu. In Bali, you can still find places only charging $1.50-$2.00 a beer! When it comes to spirits, make sure you check the price of imported items. You may be surprised what is expensive and what is affordable!
The People:
It’s not by accident that I have the ‘People’ section after the ‘Drinks’. It’s not that one it is more important than the other; it’s just that a lot of our favorite experiences with people have come from sitting at a bar top chatting to the bartenders, locals, and/or other travelers. More than anything while you are visiting, open yourself up. Meaning, don’t be afraid to ask questions and strike up a conversation. You’ll know quickly if they are interested in conversing or not.
The Sights:
Last, but definitely not least, is the sights. This is probably my #1 reason I travel. To see something that has been dancing in my head up close and personal is nothing short of amazing. I try to transport myself to that time, imagining what it was like for the people of that era. The hardest part is deciding what you have time for and what will have to maybe wait for another visit.
I guess to sum it all up I travel to use all of my senses. When all my planning has finally come to fruition, and I have arrived at my destination, the satisfaction and excitement fuels my wanderlust.
Safe and happy travels!
-Jen