Here in Switzerland we’re still experiencing a sticky, triple-digit, AC-free heat wave that can only be cured by daily dips in glacial Lake Geneva. When I visualized my life in the Alps it did not include as much time spent on a beach towel slathering on sunscreen, but more of a Sound of Music compilation video. Which is probably what my friends pictured before they arrived this week for a visit. Instead it’s been a steady diet of watermelon salad and swimming…
…but isn’t that one of the most wonderful things about traveling? The unexpected. The surprising. The stereotype-shattering moments.
Traveling in real life is always different from what you imagine it to be. I did not expect Prague and Croatia to be my favorite travel destinations so far–perhaps, it is because I had fewer preconceptions about those countries, having never received a postcard from Prague or seen a movie that took place in Croatia. I’m sure there is a metaphor for life somewhere in there, but I’ll refrain from trying to philosophize that idea apart. It’s Friday, after all.
At any rate, I’d recommend not writing off a place until you’ve been. Especially not based on a guidebook or a friend’s review. If you feel pulled to see a place, make it a priority to go.
We’ve certainly taken that approach in the last 10 months–giving up going to restaurants and buying new clothes to pay for our travel wanderlust. Is there a place you’ve always wanted to see? My list is both long and varied with the Azores, Scotland and Thailand near the top.
This month we’ve decided to stay in Switzerland and immerse ourselves in what it means to be Swiss, but we never stop daydreaming about the next trip. Wishing you travel wanderlust this weekend…but for now, a few links:
- Why We Travel (Salon)
- Why Extended Travel Affects Personality (Psychology Today)
- Massimo Vitali’s Italy (Vanity Fair…all photos above by Vitali)
Bakersfield Blonde 