See all Posts in the Wanderlust – A Travel Blog Series
After graduating from college, I worked long hours over the summer to save money and then took a year off to hitchhike around the world. My Mom noted then that it was a big deal for her to travel as far as Rochester, Minnesota.
So where do you want to go? Rochester? Cancún? Madagascar?
If you are new to travel, go easy on yourself. The United States is a big and beautiful place with lots to see and plenty of opportunities for adventure.
Domestic travel offers other benefits as well. Your money still works. Your phone still works. People mostly speak English. The transportation infrastructure is familiar.
Regional foods may vary, but you should be able to find a roast beef sandwich if you need one. And the water is probably safe to drink.
Once you have your passport and are ready to travel internationally, there are many low-risk ways to help ease you into this. Beach resorts in Mexico have package pricing and offer safety and comfort. Cruise lines allow you to travel the Caribbean for days or weeks while only having to pack and unpack once.
European tour operators will arrange for someone to meet you at the airport holding a sign with your name on it, get you to your hotel, and fill your days with guided tours.
When you are ready for independent international travel, I recommend not just going and seeing but going and doing. If you like to cook, pre-arrange a cooking class in Italy. If you like to bike, find a bike/barge tour along the Rhine River.
Spend time in churches and cemeteries tracing your ancestry. Hike the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Pick a wine region and do a deep dive into that region, touring wineries and sampling the food that the wine was meant to pair with.
If you do this, you are sure to meet like-minded people. And ultimately, travel is more about people than it is about places.
When you are ready for exotic international travel, do your research. Bring the right gear. Hire a guide. Know the risks.
I planned to sail the Suez Canal into the Red Sea about a year ago. Unfortunately, people started shooting missiles at ships in the Red Sea. That trip is on hold.
I think the most interesting travel is to places where history unfolds in real-time. This could be as simple as major sporting events such as the Ryder Cup, The World Cup or the Olympics. It could be pivotal historical moments, such as Europe when the Berlin Wall fell or Hong Kong when it reverted to Chinese control. Or it could be viewing natural history like an active volcano in Hawaii or glaciers calving and receding in Alaska.
This type of travel requires a heightened awareness of place and culture, however. The smell of tear gas sharpens the senses wonderfully, but you don’t want to find yourself in the middle of a riot or a revolution.
Rochester, Minnesota, might be a better bet.
(Dan Keyport is a CCLN board member and former Chaska business owner, now retired. His home base for international travel has been Chaska for over 30 years.)
