What I Miss the Most About Traveling

Last night, my family and I finally had our Christmas. Yes, on January 9. Most of my family, except for me & Matt, and my sister Carrie, came down with COVID, so we had to postpone our celebration until everyone was healthy again. Luckily everyone is doing well! And while we were all together, we also did one of our New Years traditions — we each write down as many predictions as we can for the new year. Then, we take turns reading the last year’s predictions to see how many we got right.

I was first up. As I scanned through my typed list, which I’d emailed to my dad since I was in Europe last year, all I could say was… “Wow. This is sad.” Because of course, at that point I had no idea we were two months away from getting hit with the pandemic that would be life-changing for the next year, if not longer.

“I’ll visit 5 new countries, including at least one that isn’t in Europe.”

“I’ll go to Barcelona again and finally meet Gemma.”

“I’ll visit Gaia at college in Torino.”

“I’ll stay in Madrid for another year, but I’ll work as a freelancer instead of an English teacher.”

“Matt will move to Spain with me.”

I was hesitant in making my 2021 predictions. It’s really hard to know at this point what’s actually plausible for the year ahead, especially when it comes to travel. But I’m feeling cautiously optimistic, knowing that vaccine rollout has begun and we’re 10 days from a new presidential administration here in the U.S. (THANK GOD.)

I’ve been home from Spain for more than six months now, and it’s been just as long since the last time I was on a plane. This is the longest I’ve gone without flying in more than five years. So I’ve been thinking about what I miss the most about traveling.

What I Miss the Most About Traveling

Being on a plane. Not only the anticipation of arrival, but the feeling of being in limbo. No cell service, no internet — just me and my thoughts somewhere above the clouds.

Arriving in a new place. The thrill of figuring out where I need to go from the airport and how to get there.

New passport stamps. After standing in line, anxious to leave and get out into the world… opening my passport again once I’ve cleared customs to check out my new stamp.

Foreign currencies. I never spend all the money I take out of the ATM because I like keeping some as a souvenir :’)

Public transportation. The Madrid Metro. <3 The cramped airport shuttle in St. Petersburg. Even the lawless bus in Fez, Morocco, that was like nothing I’d experienced before. I MISS ALL OF IT.

Cobblestone streets. They’re a bitch to walk on, but they’re so pretty. Plus, they’re often part of cute pedestrians-only areas with lots of shopping and interesting stores.

Making a plan. I’m not much of a planner when it comes to things other than transportation and lodging. But I love the feeling of being surrounded by so many interesting things and deciding what to do.

Taking travel photos. I love me some good architecture, nice views, and even a foodstagram occasionally. These days, my camera roll is full of screenshots from Twitter and pictures of our cat.

Cafes & restaurants. Coffee is one of the biggest joys in my life, and I love trying local cafés while traveling. Café con leche (Spain) and Thai Iced Tea (Thailand) are indulgences that I’ve rarely denied myself. Also just a big fan of food in general. I’m in Italy? Pizza or pasta for every meal. And I won’t get tired of it.

Travel journaling. When I first starting traveling solo, I brought a journal to keep myself busy and from feeling awkward while eating alone in restaurants. Since then, writing in my journal has become an important part of my travel routine.

Learning some history. I feel like I didn’t know anything about anything before I started traveling. Want to talk about democratic socialism or the influence of Muslim and Jewish cultures in southern Spain? I’m your girl. Traveling makes history come to life.

Treating myself. Because I rarely spend my money on anything other than traveling, I usually go all out during my trips. Whatever experiences I want to do, whatever I want to eat, whatever I want to buy… I do it.

Going to sleep & waking up somewhere new. Sleeping in a (hopefully) warm and comfy bed in an unfamiliar place… then waking up with a day full of possibility and new experiences. That’s a good feeling right there.

Traveling by train. Any time I’m able to take a train, I do it. Whether it’s the ICE or AVE high-speed trains in Europe or the overnight trains in Thailand, taking the train is a fun way to travel.

Exploring local markets. A couple of my favorites — the night markets in Asia and Borough Market in London. Even if I don’t buy anything, just looking around and taking it all in is an experience of its own.

Visiting friends & friends visiting me. Being a tourist in a friend’s city or being a tour guide in mine is one of the best things ever. When I’m the guide, I get to revisit all my favorite places with my friends and share what makes it all so special. When I’m the guest, I love having a personal introduction to a place through my friend’s eyes.

Making new friends. Many of my trips to other countries, like my first visit to Spain and my trip to Thailand and Cambodia, wouldn’t have been the same without the fun and interesting people that I met and traveled with along the way. I love feeling like I have friends around the world.

Listening to other languages. It’s nice for my brain to not have to understand what everyone is saying sometimes. Plus, it helps remind us all that the world doesn’t revolve around English.

Trying to speak other languages. Honestly though, if someone doesn’t speak English, I’ll probably try to speak Spanish because I feel like it might be closer to their language than English is. But I enjoy learning the basics like “Hello,” “Please,” and “Thank you,” before I arrive somewhere.

Having something to write about.

 

So, here’s my list… I’m hoping I’ll get to experience some of these things in 2021!

What do you miss about traveling? Let me know in the comments.

–Cathy