First of all, dear reader, I want to welcome you as you embark on this journey. Worry not; we’ve got it all covered whether you have heard of the term ‘Local Traveler’ before or not. In this journal, I aim to serve you with an idea, a perception and an understanding of what it means to become a Local Traveler.
Does the term sound somewhat awkward? I guess you could say so.
Clear those thoughts out of your mind and pull out a blank canvas. Give it the title ‘ Become a Local Traveler.’ It’s time to build a greater picture.
Have a plan or not?
Oh planning. For us local travelers, travel agencies are off the hook. It’s time to deep dive. Whether you travel as a tourist or a local traveler, the question about planning is always in the room. For both ways of traveling, there is no right or wrong answer to this question.
Traveling without a plan can become an extraordinary and unprecedented adventure.
Having a plan beforehand brings structure and clarity to your days, ensuring you can fully embrace the vacation you seek; it’s somewhat a safe haven, but it also requires you to follow a strict ‘plan’, leaving but little room for impulsive decisions arising from unforeseen wonder. For example, you would have liked to extend your travel because you realize that there is much more to the destination, or you suddenly find yourself on a mission.
Here’s my answer to the question:
First of all, become clear on the country you choose to travel to. Meet the decision out of a sincere self-evaluation. Ask yourself, how experienced am I? How evolved am I in the position of traveling? Depending on your evaluation, choose your destination. You will meet the challenge that the country faces you with as you step into researching and planning.
For those who are just getting started with travelling, even more so in a local way, to you I’d suggest you create a plan beforehand. It doesn’t have to be a meticulous plan, but you want to know what world you are entering, what awaits you and what possibilities you are offered.
The simple reason is that you don’t want to get a culture shock or feel overwhelmed or stressed on one of your first travel experiences, do you? As I mentioned above, a plan gives you structure and clarity. Most significantly of all, it gives you a sense of safety because you have, out of a relaxed and settled state of mind taken the time to draw out a path to follow once you arrive at your chosen destination. I mean, travelling can be exciting and impactful. If there is one thing I know, it is that your state of mind and emotions won’t be the same on the road as they are at home.
To those who have done the one or other travel and can think themselves into the situation of traveling and all that comes with it. To you, I’d suggest that you plan ahead in terms of informing yourself generally about the country and the possibilities you are given there, the infrastructure, the mentality and above all:
carve out what makes the country original. Look for where the essence of the country lies.
You don’t want to be given a bad surprise when you arrive back home on the valuable experiences you have missed. This counts for those of you who are ‘beginners’ too.
Which glides us smoothly into our next subject…
Ready set go? Be Prepared.
Now that you have a meticulous plan or an imagination of your travel, you are prepared. Or so you think. When travelling we have to consider, just like in our daily lives, that there is always that what we planned and that what occurs. As well as the things in our control and those out of our control. You want to make sure that you personally are as prepared as you can be. Meaning personally (also mentally) and the components you choose to take along the way with you.
That brings us to research. When you do your planning, you will undergo quite a bit of research. So, you have a general idea.
Now you want to dive deep though. Dive into the people, the country, the climate, the mentality… Turn the country upside down if you need to, but you want to do your research in order to know what awaits you and what you must take with you along the way.
Tap into Self-Responsibility
When you travel as a local, undergoing travel crafted by your research, preparation and knowledge, you will be your best guide and orientator along the way. Yes, depending on the destination’s infrastructure, mentality (openness towards visitors) and a few other factors, you will most certainly find helping hands around. Yet we don’t want to rely on them blindly.
For instance, a few years ago in South Africa, my mother and I walked right past a dangerous suburb as we made our way from our hostel. No one told us to take caution; quite the opposite, the hostel staff actually informed us to take this path to reach our desired destination. See what I mean?
Self-responsibility starts by the research, preparation and planning you do beforehand and follows through all the way during your travel. It is an integral part of traveling as a local. These travels have the potential to change you completely as a person, as the character and values you are required to step foot into will change your performance for the rest of your life. No matter if at home or on the road around the world.
Work or simply enjoy a coffee while the dogs roam the garden?
What do you mean, Kayleen? Sounds pretty nice, doesn’t it? I chose this subtitle because it’s true. Travelling as a local often means that we must embrace doing some kind of work and travel. If I am losing you right now as you say ‘Oh no, this is not for me then’, hold your horses, I know how to make it work for you all.
Traveling as a local means, as we already said, traveling different from others. From as we define it, ‘tourists’. Booking an all-inclusive five-star hotel from a travel agency isn’t going to deliver you the travel experience which I am communicating to you and the adventures you read in my journals. What if I told you that the word, work, carries different meanings? Work is work, yes, but does it always have to feel like work? It doesn’t and it won’t, that is my promise to you. We will deep dive into this subject of work and travel on the 3rd journal coming out on the 22nd of February.
A vigilant Set of Eyes
Having vigilant eyes is THE thing when we travel. New places, new adventures, new people and new cultures… No one of us will close our eyes to the gift life is holding before our eyes.
That is the very thing: we are in a new environment amidst new adventures and new circumstances. To the one or other citizens whose destination we visit, we are vulnerable. They know just right in what emotional state and awareness we find ourselves in, and of that, they will take advantage unless…
Unless you are one of the few with a vigilant set of eyes towards not only the beauty that surrounds you but to what is happening around you. Who is in your near distance, what is happening on the other side of the street, the changing atmosphere you encounter as you walk through a town or city, maybe even small details such as writings on the walls of houses which often stating things such as ‘go home, tourist’.
Did you know that when you travel as a local, you are at lower risk of encountering an uncomfortable or threatening situation?
Why? I will tell you in the 6th and last of this journal series, Becoming a Local Traveler.
Teaser: It has to do with how you behave.
Spoiler: Embracing the Local Culture, its People and their Way of Life
Now that you know what traveling as a local entails and therefore what it means, I want to leave you with a little spoiler for the next journal:
WHAT WILL I GAIN FROM EMBRACING THIS IDENTITY?
An unmatched and unprecedented adventure.
The creation of your very own fairytale.
A greater sense of unison amongst the 7 billion of us based on understanding and appreciation.
A boundless evolvement of the person you are in this world.
And an unwavering lust for traveling, flourishing your days with ingenious creativity.
For the one or other, even the gift of a PURPOSE.