- Take time for yourself. This is the key, the prerequisite. We are always rushing, busy, filling our lives with something new and different. Why? For who? Does it make any sense? What do we really want? What are we doing to get there? What does really matter to us? Who are we?
- Have high level plans but don’t be afraid to change them to live the moment, to follow the events, your feelings and emotions
- It’s ok to travel on the cheap (and to me it is somehow the most rewarding) but be generous when the situation requires it. Don’t forget you should also give back for the great experiences you are living. To take only is no good
- Don’t wear a watch. Be fascinated by how time can expend and compress depending on what you are doing
- Live the moment! To quote Jim Morrison: Sometimes it takes a moment to forget a life, some others one life is not enough to forget a moment
- Dare and Trust! Every time I get a ride (often unofficial) in an unknown place it fascinates me the trust you have to have in a stranger you don’t know. He might take you anywhere… but in the end he always takes you to destination
- It might sound a bit masochist, but leave a place before you are 100% satisfied with it. That will leave a door open to come back in the future
- Pay attention to the different perceptions/feeling you experience while arriving and leaving a given place. When you arrive you will feel a bit disoriented and vulnerable, when you leave you often feel as you belong to the place, and the place belongs to you. A piece of you remains there and you are taking a piece of that place in your heart.
- Don’t be obsessed by researching ‘the authentic experience’. The experience you are expecting to live might be different from the one you will live, the latter being the one that the local people are willing to offer you
- Travel time is itself part of the trip. Keep your eyes open and enjoy it!
- Collecting info from the internet and books is ok but doing it from the people is more fun. Go out and be ready to exchange knowledge!
- While collecting tips from someone, be aware of the bias/conflict of interest he/she might have in providing you that info. It’s ok to screw up every now and then (good stories might come out of it) but it is better if you are aware about the possibility
- Try not to judge people or behaviors. Observe. Dig into the roots of what you see. Change your mind when your first impression was not accurate
- Travel is a mean and not an end. Nature and landscape are awesome. People and cultures are even better. Talk to people. Listen to their stories and be fascinated by them. Share your deeper thoughts. It is very difficult to really understand how strangers think. It is definitely worth and rewarding trying
- Real travel has little to do with box checking. Take your time to observe details, taste flavors, talk to people.
- Rent scooters, run, wlak. Walk, walk and walk. The slower you go the more details you’ll notice.
Random Traveler Thoughts
Where is Tariz 