I’m back and excited to tell you all the details about my first trip to South America. Stay tuned! A comprehensive post with lots of great info about attractions in Buenos Aires and plenty of great pictures is in the works, and it will be up soon!
I felt a little off kilter for a few days after returning home. Maybe it was getting off the plane in flip flops to find a light *snow* coming down in Dallas, or maybe it was adjusting to the lack of sunlight in Dallas now compared to the long spring days in Buenos Aires, or maybe it was just returning to a normal routine? Thankfully, whatever it was, I’ve come through on the other side, and I’m already looking forward to my next trip!
“What, then, is a travelling mind-set? Receptivity might be said to be its chief characteristic. Receptive, we approach new places with humility. We carry with us no rigid ideas about what it or is not interesting. We irritate locals because we stand in traffic islands and narrow streets and admire what they take to be unremarkable small details. We risk getting run over because we are intrigued by the roof of a government building or an inscription on a wall. We find a supermarket or hairdresser’s shop unusually fascinating. We dwell at length on the layout of a menu or the clothes of the presenters on the evening news. We are alive to the layers of history beneath the present and take notes and photographs.” Alain De Botton, The Art of Travel
The fresh eyes and beginner’s mind inherent in the experience of traveling to a new place, as noted above, foster creativity and open mindedness, which are some of the main reasons that I choose to travel.
Why do you travel? Does it make you feel or think differently? Any exciting travel goals for 2010?
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey, I went to Buenos Aires too last year and let me tell you that the Ecological Reserve and the Botanical Garden are some of the most beautiful places. After doing some research to rent apartments buenos aires I found one in Palermo which was near the zoo and also the downtown.
I had a great time!
Tiffany
Great tips, Tiffany. Thanks for visiting!
Crazy… Tiffany left the exact same (word-for-word) comment on my blog post about the Ecological Reserve. There are tons of agencies that rent apartments here. Also, another great place to find vacation rentals is Homelidays. They charge the owner for the ad but don’t charge the vacationers a penny (unlike many other agencies that have lots of hidden fees). And even cooler is Second Porch on Facebook. I like it because you can really see who the people are that are renting their apartment and “real” people can write testimonials about their experience. Homelidays also has testimonials, but having one like this on Facebook is cool.
I love that it’s becoming easier and easier to opt out of staying in hotels which are usually beyond my budget. Oh, speaking of watching the budget… there’s also a fantastic social networking site for travelers called Couchsurfing. Here you can find people in the city you’re going to and see if they’d host you on their couch or just meet up with you for a coffee or drink. Such a great service.
Ok, now to comment on your post here… which I sort of left off last time. Whoa… I love the quote and I couldn’t agree more with you on the whole “fresh eyes and beginner’s mindset.” Sometimes the thrill is just showing yourself you can do it better than you’d imagined. That’s why I travel. I love seeing things differently and it’s pretty much inevitable when you travel. I also really like the fear that sets in when you first arrive and have no clue what you should do. Then, by the end of the trip, you feel like a pro. It’s a blast!
2010 travel goals? I want to go to Salta and Jujuy in Argentina for photography, folkloric music, spicier food than here in Buenos Aires, and a totally new cultural experience. What about you, Angela? What are your 2010 travel goals?
Thanks for the heads up, Angela! Much appreciated.
My travel plans for 2010 are definitely still in flux – not much decided for sure. I’m looking into a trip to New Mexico to visit a friend and ride in a hot air balloon. Apparently, Albuquerque has the largest hot air balloon festival in the country.
I’m also planning for a little more nature in my travels, probably inside the US, and definitely another trip abroad. My challenge for 2010 is to find a way to travel more while still saving money for other goals. It will probably involve getting creative at earning more miles for free flights and continuing to find good value where ever I visit. Probably not an expensive trip within the Euro zone for 2010!
Your trips for 2010 sound great. We were pretty surprised at the lack of spiciness of the food in Buenos Aires! Thanks for the great comments!
I’m diggin’ the New Mexico travel…
Like the quote… and “fresh eyes and beginner’s mind” – so true! I often laugh when I find myself taking in the small things of other’s lives with strong interest and curiosity. An example is when I was waiting for my friend to arrive at the Cairo airport… As I sat there for some time, I took note of the men wearing what I call “fancy pants”, how everyone smoked under the “no smoking” signs, how one man threw his cig butt in a trashcan and it started smoking and how one lady and I exchanged looks of “well, that was interesting…” and we laughed. Simple, everyday things, but these things let me into the personality of the city.
Soon, I’ll be driving through a few of America’s roads and look forward to the drive and experience. I’ve been on these roads several times so they aren’t new, but I always try to take in the sights and people… I love the open road, granted I do like planes, but right now traveling by vehicle sounds awesome. I think mostly because I need a different perspective and some inspiration and I find it getting outside of my familiar everyday life.
So I travel to grow… to experience something different and take from that experience. As well as leave a little of me behind for those who are interested. I try to incorporate these experiences into my everyday life… and share them with others in hopes they find inspiration to discover their own experiences. Yeah, this is why I travel.
Jenn – Thanks for the great comment… I’m looking forward to seeing a little more ABQ too, and enjoy your time on the road! See you soon on your way through Dallas!
Angela,
I cant wait to read about your trip to South America. And thanks for writing back. My twitter handle is littletinyrocks but I am still trying to figure it out. I just signed on and haven’t really used it yet. I’m really enjoying your blog posts. Its fun to see what other people are saying.
About why I travel? Partly I just can’t seem to sit still. I guess I must have explorer in my genes. I am always looking for what’s around the bend. I think travel really becomes a way of life when you learn how to “visit” your own back yard. I loved the quote about a beginner’s mind and I really liked the part about approaching things with humility. Not thinking you’ve “got it” leaves you open to “getting” so much more!
Do I think travel has changed me? Of course! I feel I simply more aware. Aware of the foreign language floating through my local grocery store, aware of how great my neighbors sweet tea is, aware of the fact that my friend grew up in South American where mountain lions prowled around her house at night and she had to sleep in a hammock because of snakes. travel isnt just out there. Its here. If we just open our eyes.
2010 Travel goals? This summer I plan to visit Germany and the surrounding countries. In the meantime I plan to keep busy with a weekend in DC and a trip to Chincoteague Island off the eastern shore of VA. Chances are pretty good I will end up in Vermont at some point this summer. Its home and we usually get back there for a couple weeks. Wow…when you start to write it out it really looks like a lot.
oh and Jen.. I liked what you said about leaving a little bit of yourself behind. I think its this sharing that enriches us.
Its funny how you get out of your little corner of the world to see something different and when you are there you realize how similar people can be and then when you come home you discover how different and exotic your neighbors are. That’s what I love. The celebration of differences and similarities :)
Hi Laura – Sounds like you have some great travel plans coming up! I lived in DC for about 4 years, and I’ve never heard of Chincoteague Island. I’m going to have to check it out. Thanks for the great comment!
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