It’s been a long time since I’ve updated my list of 30 things that I love when it comes to travel. Things that I’m into and I love on trips. As you travel and it shapes your world, you learn new things about yourself and become a better traveler, packer, and, hopefully, person.
I listen to a podcast called Wonderful where a married couple talk about “things that are good, things that we like, things that we’re into” and I like to check in every once in a while and do the same, but when it comes to travel.
1. Interactive museums – I love a normal museum, but I think the creativity of museums that are interactive and more than just looking at art on a wall or things in a case are next level. I’ve been doing more lately, but some of my favorites have been
Hopscotch Portland,
Arte Museum and
Omega Mart in Las Vegas.
2. Brunch – I’m never one to turn down brunch. It’s a great way to get breakfast and lunch all in one, but without spending the money of both. Vancouver, BC was an excellent destination for brunch any day of the week, and Palm Springs comes in a close second. Outside of the U.S. Paris and Edinburgh are wonderful brunch cities. There’s nothing like being able to save money overall, but also be able to get waffles or a burger at the same time. Brunch has something for everyone.
3. A really good cup of coffee – There’s nothing that can cheer me up or really start my morning out right more than sitting down at a coffee shop with a specialty latte or a cappuccino and watch people while I sip away. Even taking a delectable brew while I’m wandering a city is a way to brighten up my day.
4. A VPN – Traveling out of the country is great, but so is being able to enjoy some of my own shows while I’m away and having some downtime. It’s just a good way for me to get a little bit of home wherever I am, or even just to be able to access certain websites and pay bills and keep up with news. It also enables me to keep my connection private on the free wifi connections. I use
Bitdefender for both internet security and a VPN.
5. Meeting up with online friends IRL – I’ve been doing this much more often lately. I ask friends what their favorite places to eat are and then invite them to come join me. It’s been an awesome way to connect with people all over and I can’t wait to do more of it.
6. Taking a walk along the waterfront – I forget how much I love a waterfront until I find myself walking along one and enjoying the river views, especially at home. Many times you see a bunch of doggos walking with their people and boats and occasionally a marine animal like a sea lion. People congregate near the water and it’s where real life happens, which might also be why there is often art along the trail. New Orleans is the best example of this. You’ll find so many sculptures lining the Mississippi.
7. Convertible bags – I’m really digging having a bag that works in multiple ways, so it looks great and is convenient for any outfit/activity. Whether that means it is a shoulder bag that converts to a backpack or a crossbody that can also be worn as a sling or a belt bag.
8. Enjoying a city alone – I love traveling with Eric and I love traveling with my mom, but there’s really nothing at all like
traveling solo and learning about yourself along the way and seeing the city in a whole new way, because your sole focus is around you.
9. Street art – As much as I enjoy going to a museum (interactive or traditional), seeing street art has its own specialness about it and I don’t care if it’s huge or tiny, it always says something about the city its in and makes an impact on me and everyone else who sees it.
10. Farmers’ markets – I will never turn down an opportunity to visit a farmers’ market, even if I don’t plan to buy anything. I always come away with some delicious snack and having had a great conversation with at least one vendor. In San Francisco, I spoke to a rancher who lived outside the city and told me about how he raised his animals. In Edinburgh, I spoke to a woman who sold pigeon sandwiches about the differences in meat selections of our countries. It’s conversations like that that make me feel closer to a destination and help me understand the people who live there better. 10/10 highly recommend this for everyone.
11. Swapping city secrets with locals – This sort of ties in with #10, but also #5. I want to know where locals go and what they love about their city and I am just as happy to share places I love from Portland and the surrounding area. While I’ll ask friends for recommendations, I’ll also ask people I meet while out and about, like my Uber driver, or staff at my hotel when I meet them in the elevator (cleaning staff mostly, because they are the regular people who have to budget and don’t get anything for sharing those special spots.
12. When there isn’t anyone in the middle seat – Airplanes are giving you less and less room and more often than not flights are full because there are fewer of them, but still the same amount of travelers. When I get seated and it turns out I have a whole row to myself or even just a seat in between me and another person, it’s kind of fun and exciting. I don’t have to give my armrest to anyone or watch my elbows when I’m reading or taking a drink.
13. A lightweight rain jacket – It’s been a long time since I’ve carried an umbrella, because I don’t always need it and it’s always unwieldy and I don’t like taking up space in my bag for unnecessary things. For this reason, I always have a rain jacket that packs down to almost nothing.
14. In-room Chromecast – Having a VPN to watch streaming is nice and all, but more places are upgrading their entertainment selection by allowing guests to stream content they already pay for. In Vegas, I had a night in, and while I was eating snacks and repacking things to go home, I had on one of my favorite YouTube channels that I was able to cast from my phone to the TV.
15. Food trucks – I travel for food and I want to eat all the things when I go somewhere new.
Food trucks are a perfect way for everyone to get something they want, since there’s usually more than one in an area, and get local food for less than sitting in a regular restaurant. It makes it easier to save on dining and allows you to enjoy being outside, too.
16. Botanical gardens – I may be allergic to a lot of things, but that doesn’t stop me from loving cool plants and flowers. I am fascinated by the fact that some gardeners just know how to grow almost anything. Seeing local plants all in one area can be a fun way to learn things about your destination.
17. Historical buildings – Architecture can be amazing, but I think that America has a habit of knocking down old things and replacing them, so when I see historical buildings, I want to know all about them and admire the love and care it took to build and then preserve them.
18. Packing cubes – I’m a small packer. I want to be organized, too. Packing cubes enable me to do both of these things. I’m especially partial to compression cubes, because it makes my small cube of clothes even more compact.
19. Smaller carry-ons – Yes, I know
carry-ons are already small for many of you, but as a recovering overpacker, I feel accomplished when I can keep my travel belongings to the absolute minimum. I choose the bag and then make my packing list. I often go with a backpack when I travel alone, because it’s easy to navigate through the plane and airport and the amount of stuff I have to keep track of is more manageable.
20. Discounts for booking online – It’s wonderful to do things on vacation and it’s even better when you’ve already paid for it ahead of time, and even better when you got a deal because you booked before your actual trip and you can just show your ticket on your phone when you arrive.
21. 360-degree views of the city I’m in – If a city has an overlook or a tall building with a viewing platform, I’m there. I can’t tell you why I think it’s so fun. I just do.
22. Taking pictures for people – If I see people struggling to take selfies or pictures of their group, I always offer to take pictures for them. I’ll offer suggestions and ask what they want in the background and then take no less than 5 pictures of them, because it sucks when people take one picture and give your phone back and it sucks and you can’t be like “you did a terrible job”.
23. Good public transportation – I am a big walker on trips, but sometimes you can’t walk to wherever you’re going. When you don’t have a rental car a great transportation system is important. I enjoy the Metro, RER, the Underground, the Las Vegas Monorail, and Baltimore’s light rail.
24. When I learn to get around a neighborhood – There are places I’ve been to multiple times that I know how to get around, like Las Vegas, but when you really get a feel for how to navigate a new city, you get a certain sense of accomplishment that you can’t get otherwise.
25. Trying brand new foods – When I travel, I will always look for regional foods that I’ve never had. Maybe I’ll hate it, but it’s more likely I will like it, or even find a new favorite. I want to try everything, because more often than not, new foods are delicious.
26. One fancy dining experience – I’ll always look for places I want to eat on trips before I go and then plan my days around the general areas. I try to keep my selections to budget and moderate dining establishments, but I will always pick one or two places that are splurge-worthy and must-eats for either of us and then figure out how to save somewhere else to offset that cost.
27. Sunglasses – You never see me without a pair of sunglasses and I travel with two pair, in case I lose/break a pair or want them to match my outfits better.
28. Walking a ton of miles without realizing it – Why is it you can walk ten miles on a trip and not realize you’ve walked that much at all…at least until you get back to your room for the evening? Some people love hiking in the woods. I love hiking in a city. Up staircases, down cobblestone streets, around castles, and through museums. I walked 60 miles on a 10-day trip, and an entire marathon on a 3-day trip to Disney.
29. A versatile travel dress with functional pockets - I’m firmly a jeans person, but I think most of that is because they have pockets and go with everything. You can’t wear jeans everywhere and finding a great travel dress is hard enough, but finding one that looks good and has pockets that are useable is a diamond in the rough. I have a
Prana dress that I loved so much I bought another in a different color. (The Prana Railay dress is out of stock, but
Halara has a dupe right now.)
30. Aisle row seats – I used to be a window seat only person, but I’ve lately found the ease and joy of having an aisle seat, especially when traveling alone and not wanting to bother two other people if I have to get up.
Clearly, food is very important to me. I’d love to know what some of your 30 things are. Share some in the comments!
Want to read more tips for traveling worldwide on a budget? Check out my blog at Shereen Travels Cheap or find me on Facebook or Twitter. You’ll also find product and website suggestions, packing tips, current deals and a whole lot more to help you travel better for less!
Source:
http://www.shereentravelscheap.com/2024/04/my-new-30-travel-things.html
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