What is your favorite destination?
That’s easy. The next one. Seriously. Having to pick a favorite destination is like naming your favorite pet, or picking your favorite child. I get so excited to visit new places, try new things, and experience a new place through its music, its food, its sights, and most importantly its people.
How do you describe your travel ‘style’?
Everyone has their own travel style. My travel likes and dislikes are very specific to me. To be honest, this is why I have an issue with many people using travel guidebooks to plan every aspect of their holiday. They forget that the most important word from the book is ‘guide’. I have yet to find another person that shares the same travel philosophy as me. That does not mean that I refuse to take advice. Quite the opposite. I respect so many people’s opinions, and if my friends and colleagues highly recommend a restaurant, a sight, or an activity, there is a very good chance that I will like it as well. But I know what I like, and what is important to me, and this is how I plan my travel.
My travel style is simple: experience as much of the destination as you can in the limited time you are there, and stay ‘low to the ground’.
Just what does that mean? Low to the ground means pretending, even for just a moment, that you are a local. Don’t worry – I’m not trying to kid myself. When people see me, they know I’m an American, and they immediately know that I’m a traveler (not a tourist, a traveler). But I’m also not afraid to try new things, strike up a conversation in a restaurant or bar with some locals, visit a very non-touristy part of the city. At least once, I want to get completely lost. This is usually where I find the coolest things.
This doesn’t mean that I don’t want to visit important tourist sights. If you’re in Paris and you skip the Louvre, shame on you. But as important as it is to experience the Louvre, you will also get a lot out of wandering the streets of a residential Parisian neighborhood, bereft of tourists, surrounded by everyday life. I guess what I am trying to say is this: whatever you do, do it with a purpose, and take it all in.
Whether you are visiting a world-class museum, hiking a stunning nature trail, wandering the back streets of a busy city, or simply relaxing at the pub with a pint, you should be fully invested in your destination, and try as hard as you may to experience life like a local.
And at the end of the day, you should sit back and be able to tell yourself, “This is why I travel”.
How do you prioritize your travel experience?
Again, my travel style is very much my own. I do not care for luxury hotels, expensive suites, first class air travel, or pretentious dining. I like to think of myself as a frugal traveler. My wife just thinks I’m cheap. But, by not spending too much money on fancy hotel rooms and expensive meals, I have the budget to take more trips, and experience more destinations. By being frugal, I allow myself the opportunity to plan more holidays, visit more places, and stay a bit longer.
A good example is when we visit a city like Rome. What an amazing place! What is the most important priority when visiting Rome? The ancient sights? The meandering streets and piazzas? The countless museums? To me, the answer is simple: the food. Rome is one of the world’s great food destinations. We like to joke that we should spend more money on dinner than we spend on our hotel room. Why? In Rome, it doesn’t matter where you stay. Your accommodation is a place to store your belongings, take a shower, and sleep. If you are spending a lot of time in your Roman accommodation, you are doing it wrong. You need to be out, exploring, experiencing, enjoying. When I look back at the times I visited Rome, not once have I thought about my hotel room. But I can recall almost every meal I have enjoyed in this most magical of cities.
How do you pack for a trip?
Packing for a holiday can be so stressful for some people. And I understand why. No one wants to forget something important, that they will be so upset to not have when they reach their destination. This is why I suggest that, if you are not a regular traveler, you create a packing list, well in advance of your trip. Having it written down can be so helpful in deciding what you need.
I have two suggestions for packing: pack light, and plan on best case scenario. If you plan on worst case scenarios, you will bring everything you own. Always plan on best case scenario. If you run out of clean underwear, what is the worst that can happen? You will have to either wear dirty underwear, wash your underwear, or purchase some new ones. Guess what? There are laundry services all over the world. And, you can find new underwear at stores. Same goes for toiletries. Surprisingly, you will find toothpaste at pharmacies all over Europe. You can purchase deodorant at markets in Thailand. It may not be your favorite brands, but you can find everything you need pretty much wherever you go.
One thing to ask yourself is this: carry-on or checked luggage. My family and I have taken multiple 3-week trips to Southeast Asia with only small carry-on bags. We can visit Europe for two weeks with the same carry-on. In fact, we have not checked luggage on international flights for many, many years. But, we are super casual, and we simply don't care that we end up wearing the same 3 or 4 outfits over the course of weeks. (and yes, we do laundry regularly!) Some people are not as casual as us. However, we know that with carry-on bags, we are always mobile - easy to fit into taxis/Ubers, super-easy to throw in overhead compartments on planes and trains, and they take up no space in our rooms and apartment rentals. Plus, with less choices for clothes, it is much easier to get ready every morning.
My one important note is that no matter whether you have carry-on only, or checked bags, you must always put essential items in your carry-ons. Do not pack into your checked bags any essential items like prescriptions, adapters/converters, government identifications, etc. Just ask yourself this: if I lose this, how difficult is it to replace?
Having enjoyed dozens of international trips, we understand that the less we bring, the less we worry about.
You’ve just won the lottery. Where are you going?
Surprisingly, this is an easy one to answer. If I win the lottery (and, it has to be a BIG win), I’m only going to purchase one thing. For sure, we won’t buy a mansion. I don’t need to buy a new car, as ours works fine. I’ll still wear all my old clothes.
But the one thing I want to purchase is simple: my own private plane.
There would be nothing better than the freedom to say, “I’m craving some sushi. Let’s fly to Tokyo.” Or, “I could really go for some pizza. Let’s fly to Naples.”
So, it’s not a question of where am I going when I win the lottery. It’s a question of where am I going today.