Comments on: Travel: When Less is More

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:51:30 +0000

@Agnesia: Thanks for commenting and your kind words about our articles and following our journey! It’s important to appreciate every journey, no matter how long or short it is.

By: Agnesia

Agnesia — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:55:04 +0000

Hi Daniel & Audrey,

After reading this article, I won’t complain anymore about having not enough annual leaves from my work. I will learn to appreciate & treasure all my trips which I still can count with my 10 fingers. By the way, I love reading your articles 😉 And I love following your journey around the world 😉

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Fri, 07 May 2010 10:36:48 +0000

@Alonna: I’m laughing at your comment about leaving Queensland without a single bungy jump! It’s funny, we also sometimes get a kick out of missing the main sights of a place. I always think, “We’ll, that church/museum/ruins/activity will likely still be there when we return, but perhaps that marketplace or food stand won’t.” The important thing is to find the right pace and enjoy the journey, not race around.

By: Alonna

Alonna — Thu, 06 May 2010 23:06:22 +0000

Hey guys, great article. This advice is spot on. We’ve learned this lesson many times and sometimes it’s still a struggle. Spending more time in fewer places is the best travel advice we could give. It doesn’t matter where you are, you will never see everything. And we almost get a little kick out of not doing the “main attraction” of a place… like you said, it’s nice to have something to come back to. For example, we just left Queenstown, New Zealand without doing a single bungy jump… next time! 🙂

By: Jerry Peek

Jerry Peek — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:27:12 +0000

I read an interesting New York Times opinion piece today that reminded me of your post, Audrey. The author, Seth Stevenson, encourages travelers to take some time getting to and from a destination:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/opinion/20sethstevenson.html

I don’t agree with him that airplane flights aren’t memorable. (I’ve met many wonderful people, including some of my best friends, on airplanes… and also seen some breathtaking views from my seat next to the window.) Also, people from the US who have just two weeks of vacation a year can’t afford to spend it all sailing to and from Europe on the Queen Mary II. Still, I thought the author’s point — that travelers can miss a lot when they make the fastest journey, simply to “get there” — is a good one.

Â¡Buen viaje!

By: Daniel Noll

Daniel Noll — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:07:37 +0000

@Jerry: Was just reading about them at OnPoint. I believe many people feel as you do: the hard-and-fast rule of “no airplanes” is inflexible. It’s also impractical for many who have neither the time nor the cash for overland-only options.

But I’m going to go one step further and echo a comment I made in response to the discussion on another forum.

Regarding how best to engage with the world while traveling, â€œno planes, overland onlyâ€ strikes me as a sticky, effective public relations gimmick. However, the depth of our engagement with other cultures and our resulting cultural appreciation is less affected by whether we took a plane or two than by the following:
1) Did we explore outside of the capital and major cities?
2) Did we interact with people outside of the tourist industry.
3) Did we spend time with ordinary people where they spend time (e.g., in local markets).
4) Where we felt we needed to understand, did we spend time rather than always running to the next destination?
5) And for those with the luxury of a little extra time: Did we seek out a few lesser-understood places along the way (e.g., Tajikistan or Paraguay).

We believe that significant chunks of overland travel are necessary if the goal is cultural understanding. But overland travel in itself is not sufficient…it’s HOW you go about that travel that makes the difference.

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:27:27 +0000

@Laura: I’m so glad that the timing of this post was right for you. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the “must sees” when itinerary planning. So many of our best experiences happened in the middle of nowhere or on the way to somewhere else. Even these last few days, some of our memorable experiences happened while hitchhiking and having conversations with the different people we met.

@Johnny: I have to admit that Thailand has crossed my mind recently. When we were in Asia, we went there often to recharge our batteries.

@Lola: You have to listen to your gut when it tells you to take time for certain things, be it settling into a new home or learning a new language. Otherwise, the travel becomes a chore and your mind is elsewhere; you’re not able to enjoy and absorb it in the best way.

@Sonya: I think so many travelers would answer that their best experiences happened when they least expected it. Yet, we still feel the need to push on. It’s great when we find that balance.

By: Sonya

Sonya — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:29:14 +0000

Thanks for sharing your perspective! Following my inner compass when traveling has become so important to me. Some of my best travel adventures were completely unexpected and most rewarding.

By: Lola

Lola — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:09:00 +0000

Yet another fantastic post Audrey!

I’m from the school of balance. Yes, I want to see it all but sometimes, life has other priorities, be it nurturing one’s new family or staying longer in a place to fully integrate.

Just had to cancel an upcoming trip to Istanbul for this very same reason.

By: Johnny Vagabond

Johnny Vagabond — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:10:52 +0000

Y’all need a beach, a hammock, and some fruity drinks, STAT!