Traveling…What the hell have I been waiting for?
It has taken me 30 years to travel outside of the country (not counting Mexico or the Bahamas) and I must say, it’s about damn time! My fiancee Rebecca, the Assistant Public Relations Manager with Delaware North, was recently offered the opportunity to travel to the most populous city in the United Kingdom for work. She would be accompanying Brian Duffy, retired U.S. Air Force colonel and a former NASA astronaut, and working with him on UK TV/radio interviews and other PR related tasks. You better believe I was going to tag along!
Rebecca had a pretty tight agenda, however I did not, so my trip was a bit different than hers. This being my first international trip I was a bit nervous, but ultimately I had a plan...sort of.
People have been asking me, “how was your trip”, “how is London”, “what did you think” and my answer is always the same, “AMAZING”. I haven’t experienced anything like London before and to be quite frank, I’m hooked. I’m not just hooked on London, I absolutely LOVE London, but traveling the world and experiencing different cultures is truly amazing, that’s what I’m hooked on. I want…no, I NEED more.
Those that travel frequently say the key to traveling is to just do it. Yeah, I mean come on, that’s obvious, but what are they really saying? Well I think I kind of get it now.
There are two different perspectives when it comes to traveling, those that do it and those that don’t. To those that travel it’s easy, they know the routine. Book a flight, find a place to stay and enjoy your trip. To those that don’t or have not yet traveled, it gets a bit more complicated. Anxiety sets in, you play the 21 question game with yourself and packing becomes a nightmare. The list is endless, I know because all of this literally just happened to me.
Prior to London traveling seemed intimidating, nerve wracking, scary and expensive. Not to mention the planning portion of it all, that alone can drive someone insane. Of course I wanted a solid plan to ensure that I not only had a fun and a safe trip, but I also wanted to experience London for what it truly is and not just through the eyes of an American tourist. Needless to say, I was at a bit of a paradox. So what did I do?
Well I just went for it, or better phrased, “I just did it”. Of course I had a plan, Rebecca had a hotel and I booked a round trip flight, but the things that I was actually going to see and do I approached a little different.
Isn’t it weird when you buy a car you start noticing it everywhere? Well Brits are no different and it turns out I know quite a few blokes. I briefly met with them and asked, “what are some of the things you miss most about the UK?” I compiled all their answers on a note sheet on my phone and there it was, my plan.
*This was a very critical step. Find someone that is familiar with the territory and ask questions. If you don’t know someone check out Instagram and FB, doing some research is important.
I didn’t have a set time/date to be at any specific location, I had the list and that was it. I would be “flying by the seat of my pants” and it worked out great. Not only was I able to sight see and experience all of the historical landmarks, but I was also able to experience the city like a local and get a real feel for London. I covered between 10–20 miles/day to experience as much as I could in the short 4 days I was there, I think I did a pretty good job. Here are a few photos from my trip:
Removing the over planning aspect of traveling is really what enabled me to get the most out of my trip. I remember taking family vacations as a youngster to Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks or Rocky Point, and most of our day was so meticulously planned out that we had to rush from one site to another because that was “our plan”. Looking back on it now, I don’t think we were able to get most out of our trip. Granted, this is probably the best method when you’re traveling with children, but people still use this approach when traveling without them.
Now I’m not saying that planning is bad thing, planning to a certain degree is a great thing. What I’m trying to say is over analyzing your trip and thinking you have to plan something for every hour and constantly have something to do is the wrong approach. If you are trying to have a real experience and get the most out of your trip, talk with someone that has been to the location you’re traveling to, build a list of a few places that interest you and get out there and fly by the seat of your pants. Cheers.
P.S. If you have a destination that you deem a “MUST SEE”, please feel free to email me your location and list to shaneburgman@gmail.com
*You can also see some of the photos from my trip on my Instagram @ shane_burgman or FB @ shaneburgman.
THANKS FOR READING!
