Stop Worrying and Just Enjoy Travel

Have you went on a trip recently, or enjoy to travel? You'll no doubt then spot from a mile away the conventional tourist "experience." It goes something like this:

• Wake up prematurely and race through the accommodation's brekkie.
• Go, Go, Go Go and see as many stops as possible until it is dark.
• Drop in a heap in your hotel room with a sore back, blisters, and totally exhausted.
• Do it again tomorrow.

The following are some traveling ideas to make your next journey adventure more enjoyable, less rushed, and more what you had in mind when you booked it in the first place. Do one, do all of them, but at least one to make your trip a little more special for you - you've earned it.

Start with Organization

I see a lot of the trek strain people bring upon themselves is mostly due to a lack of organization. Where is your passport - it should always go in a good spot. How about making a list of the stuff you need to take - and check things off the list before you go? The fact is that in most situations, you can leave whatever you are missing behind. Only your personal health and safety and your documents are the things that cannot straightforwardly be replaced. Make sure those two things are accounted for and stop freaking out about the rest.

On a similar note, a little bit of planning goes a long way. Regardless if it's the Capital Building or just a scenic view sure to know when to go/how to get there and mark it in your diary. With the abundance of journey planning sites, travel books, and other resources, you have no excuse for not arriving in a alien location informed of pretty much everything except that new shop that opened just last month.

Appreciate Your Traveling Personality

Any idea what sort of traveler you are like? Do you like museums and exhibits, or would you rather be outside in the drizzle looking at the flowers and walking the streets? How about your voyage partner - are you cozy companions or polar opposites? Same goes for eating out - do you like adventurous options, or would you prefer something a little 'normal' (from your world view) and safer. Also consider your abilities: museums that do not have signs in your local speech probably will not be as much fun, nor will that palace that you don't have the physical stamina to climb the stairs to. You should really be realistic on what you can't do and what you can. You are you who you are, so just do what you can do and forget the rest.

Relax and Appreciate Where You Are

Maybe you can sleep in for a change.

Maybe you can enjoy that second cup of coffee.

Just sit in the gardens with your feet in the fountain, enjoying the fresh air, and skip that twelfth museum.

The best tour experiences sometimes come through serendipity. So slow down, relax, and let those experiences find you. pick one or two absolute must-see places, check the opening hours, and go. Otherwise, just see how the rest unfolds. In other words: get your nose out of the guide and appreciate where you are.

Aidan Jones writes for Sharing Travel Experiences, a travel lifestyle magazine featuring articles about experiential travel.