Tourist, Trapped!
By: Parker Piccolo Hill
The age-old question: is ignorance bliss, or is knowledge power? This dilemma is never more imperative than when you’re abroad.
We will all be a dumb tourist at one point in our travels. Sure, I know enough about Italian food to tell you to never eat in Rome or Venice unless you really can’t help it. However, if you drop me in Germany or South Africa, I would be completely lost. What’s the sign of a good restaurant? What menu items do I avoid completely? This conundrum only gets worse when you consider activities to do and places to visit. Is the Eiffel Tower climb a scam? Should I go to a cave rave in Vietnam? Is that sketchy looking guy beckoning me into a dark alley at 3 AM actually offering me a shortcut tip, or am I about to be mugged?
It’s easy to feel lost amidst the streets advertising with stock photos, menus, and the glinting neons of club signs. But that feeling doesn’t necessarily have to be bad. Instead, embrace your stupidity! Living in ignorance means everything can be equally amazing. Epcot can seem as grand as the Cote d’Azur if you simply embrace the make-believe and pretend it’s all authentic.
What really matters is that you have fun. If you spend your whole trip scrounging for the most authentic, rewarding experiences, you will definitely have some memorable moments. But, you’ll also have spent half your time trying to connect to hotel WiFi, struggling to tell if a list of the “TEN THINGS YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO DO IN KYOTO” is truly a local’s guide, or instead, written by some random guy who owns the dango stand that just happens to be mentioned in the article.
When you’re not fretting about getting the best possible experience and are instead just looking to experience whatever comes your way, it takes the pressure off. Put on your fanny pack, look for the tour guides who are waving red flags, and start walking. It takes a bit of courage to embrace the potential cringe, but it’ll result in a trip that makes for some great stress relief. And, after all, isn’t that half the battle?
About the Author: Parker Piccolo Hill is a sophomore from Westchester, NY, majoring in English and Italian and minoring in Urban and Regional Studies. One of her favorite travel destinations is London because of the fun little accents, the cosmopolitan air, and the scones!
