agenda when it came to vacations. I cannot blame the lack of opportunities
since I traveled a fair bit in my last country. But every time it came down to
the execution of the vacation plan, I would start frantically looking for my
notebook and the closest available pen to start making a list.
very vocal about the advantages of maintaining a list. If you really intended
to get things done on time, and thoroughly, then you would be hard-pressed to
do so without a well-worded, clear, prioritized and a beautiful black and white
list.
dedication to my vacation planning. There was a running list for my packing
which ensured I never forget my toothbrush or hair gel even if I were to use it
on the morning of the flight or travel day. Additionally, there would also be a
list of things I had planned to see and do while I was on vacation. I would
filter it down from wiki travel and other online travel journals. I would
tailor it to my specific food and history interests and then plan the time to
see it based on the geographical location of my hotel or the available means of
transportation. If you were traveling with me then you had never to stress
about directions, timings and most importantly getting back to the hotel
standing up. It might sound terribly boring but I actually enjoyed doing so
much in such little time since vacation days were at premium in the United
States. There was the occasional disappointment, since the list was a visual
reminder of what I couldn’t achieve and also regret that the places I did like,
I wasn’t able to spend more time there.
Germany, the copious amount of vacation days and the attitude of the people
around me have had drastic effects on my vacationing. Of course, I would be
lying if I said I did not make my list for packing, which was influenced by the
number of days, climate and a possibility of fancy dinners. Even here I access
wiki travel before but it ends up being for a brief browse session that lasts
for an hour at most. Things that interest me settle immediately in my head, the
rest ends up being bonus if I remember them eventually.
vacation here is completely different. No longer am I interested in the
religious checking of boxes nor am I too keen on planning meals exactly. In Amsterdam,
my favorite part of the vacation was sitting on a bench near a canal reciting
old English Pop songs that I had long forgotten to sing. There were museums
left unseen, restaurants left untried and other attractions left unvisited. Yet,
I found strange satisfaction in being completely pointless and breathing in the
bridges of Amsterdam under a starry starry sky.
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| Rest |
This change of attitude was recently cemented
by a fantastic sailing trip on the Bodensee, bordering Germany, Austria and
Switzerland. There wasn’t a list. There was only a hastily packed duffel bag. I
only religiously remembered to carry swimwear and my house keys. Further, once
I was on the sailing boat, there was even more dilution of an agenda. We sailed
from Sipplingen to Friedrichshafen in a day. I basked in the sunlight and the
simmering blue crystal clear lake. I bobbed merrily with the boats gentle
pattern. And I stared endlessly in contentment. I had made such a rapid
departure from my wikitravel ways that I had no fact to remember about the
Bodensee but only to discover them through my friends on the boat. On the depth
meter I observed 180m and was later told that the lake is actually astonishingly
200m deep. I saw Swiss and Austrian flags that indicated the borders proximity.
And on a G.P.S unit I finally saw the outline of the lake that I had already
spent over 16 hours on.
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| How are you inclined? |
Further niceties followed. Walking
around town after docking in Friedrichshafen I discovered almost accidentally
that the famous Zeppelins were made there. And that the town was knee deep in
WWII history. There was a list forming here but I wasn’t writing it. It was
being written randomly, yet almost to order of my liking. The next day as we
sailed back, the winds had caught up with us. We were sailing at a speed of 10
knot which is painfully slow if you convert it into Km/h but heart throbbing
when the boat is leaning and the sails are fighting constantly against the
wind. As the winds died down, we also slowed down. I lay shirtless in the heat
on the deck, pulled my cap to shield my eyes and ended up taking the best nap I
have had in years.
realization of how useless statistics are if you never intend to count. I would
value the nap on the boat more than the number of states, cities and countries
I have been too. Or perhaps I am learning from the Europeans on how to vacation
right. I am doing less here but enjoying more. I am seeing less here but
observing more. I have lesser Facebook-worthy stories but a much richer memory
store.
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| Bedroom |
enjoyable so far. And I am excited to hit lower unplanned tones even if they
result in a few unpleasant and costly croaks. Nothing that a nap in the sun wouldn’t
fix!
Good to see someone enjoying my kind of traveling. I was influenced to travel in the the "listed" fashion by people around me! And I never found the right words to convince them why "unlisted" travel can be so much fun. They almost made me feel like an idiot! This post reinforces my belief in my mode of travel 🙂 Thank you!
Ha! I sound like one of those people 🙂 I do think though a balance is what is needed. I mean I wouldn't want to go to Florence and not see the statue of David but if I did find a view and a delicious gelato, the other attractions could wait 🙂
Yeah. I definitely agree. You do need to have a plan, a general outline. Just not down to the minute. Need to leave some room for serendipities and some time to enjoy them!
I am feeling very amused. 🙂
Upasna: What a poignant comment considering the circumstances 😉 So long and thanks for all the fish.
D! I couldn't have put it better myself. I have learned a lot about the art of vacationing from my European friends!
I had a similar experience to your nap on the boat, only it was on a beach.. for 3+ hours. I couldn't imagine that after getting so used to the hurried American life I would truly be able to unwind, without all the props and with absolutely no agenda.
I do have an opinion about the statistics.. I am a fan of to-do lists (as you are) and I do believe in the power of planning, not sure that part of me will ever die, but sometimes (just every so often) it is fulfilling to have days without an agenda, and there is no better place to do that than in Europe..
Keep writing.. and enjoy the rest of the summer…
Take care.
Jasmine