5 Travel Experiences On My Wish List

Like many people, I have a loooooong To-Go list of places to see and visit.  But in the last year of traveling, I’ve come to know other facets of the travel experience that go beyond location and destination.

As I read and followed other travelers’ tales of their journeys, I’ve found myself very interested in trying out activities and pursuits that are just slightly beyond my usual travel style.  Their adventurous and colorful stories inspire me to try something different.

We’ve seen them everywhere, backpackers young and old, lugging around humongous canvas bags.   The term backpacking originally referred to carrying one’s gear for day or more of hiking out in the wilderness.  In world traveler circles, the term typically refers to independent travelers who bring their belongings around in a well-worn sacks on their backs.  They do so mostly for convenience, as they move from one city or country to another usually on long-term trips, and to cut airline checked baggage costs.

I do understand the freedom from the raucous noise luggage wheels make on cobblestone streets, and the pain of dragging them up stairs.  Still as a physical therapist, I can’t help but calculate the weight and strain that the bags put on your spine and hips.  Still, I do want to experience why people choose this path and see if it suits me.

For tips on choosing the right backpack, read this article by Nomadic Matt.

2.  Stay at a Hostel.

Although not synonymous with each other, many of the aforementioned backpackers park their bags beside bunk beds in hostels.  The hosteling experience is marked by sharing common areas: bedroom, kitchen, living space and bathroom.  While it used to only be populated by budget travelers, more people outside of that demographic are trying it out for the social aspect of meeting fellow travelers, which is especially appealing to solo travelers.

There has been a surge in boutique hostels or poshtels with hipper design and amenities  (pingpong table, video game consoles, yoga classes) than many chain motels and hotels.

My biggest issue is sharing the bathroom.  I’m not particularly a germaphobe in every day life but I turn into one when thinking about the last dozen people who used the shower and toilet before I do. My game plan is to stay in a place with a bathroom with no more than 4 females. Wish me luck.

3.  Have a meal at a local’s home.

One of my favorite segments in Anthony Bourdain’s Travel Channel show No Reservations is when he gets invited into a local’s home.   A mother or grandmother cooks up a storm of the family’s best dishes and it turns out to be one of the best meals of his life.

While not everyone’s mama or abuela turn out to be a culinary genius, sharing a meal in someone’s home is an intimate way of experiencing the country and the family’s culture.     Since not everyone may have the chance to be invited to a home-coooked dinner, there are sites that connect travelers with folks who like to cook and entertain guests in their home.  Eatwith.com has a network of local chefs offering meals in their homes while VizEat.com connects visitors with a wider range of hosts, from professional chefs to home cooks.

The closest I’ve gotten to this experience was when our tour group from Intrepid Travel dined at a Moroccan home in a suburb of Fes.  We were ushered into a room with a fantastically elaborate ceiling handcrafted by the host’s brother and was served a delicious traditional Moroccan meal.  It was a lovely experience, and I hope to recreate that on my own as an independent traveler.

 

4.  House sit.

I heard about house sitting from the travel bloggers that I follow.  Several of them have used this strategy to cut down on living expenses while staying in a town or city.   The setup is that a traveler signs up to be a house carer on one of the platforms or websites that connects them to homeowners looking for a sitter to mind their house (and pets if any) while they go on vacation.

As straightforward as that may sound, there are several steps to take to successfully book and get through a house sitting job.  Choosing a platform to sign up with, creating an appealing house sitter profile to land jobs, screening house sit offers and actually making it through a house sit are the just some of things a prospective house sitter like me need to educate herself on.

I’ve been learning the ins and outs of house sitting from Nat and Jodie at House Sitting Academy and I’m excited to give it a go in 2016.