Why I Travel Differently Now: Slower, Simpler and More Meaningful

 

I used to think a good holiday meant seeing as many places as possible.

Wake up early.
Breakfast.
Train.
Attraction.
Lunch.
Another attraction.
More walking.
Dinner.
Night market.
Back to the hotel.

Then repeat the next day.

And yes, I used to enjoy it.

There was something exciting about having a packed itinerary and coming home thinking, Wow, I really saw so much!

But somewhere along the way, the way I travel started to change.

These days, I don't want to rush through a destination just so I can say I've been there.

I want to experience it.

I Don't Need to See Everything Anymore

This is probably one of the biggest changes in the way I travel.

When I was younger, skipping an attraction felt like a waste.

Now?

If I don't feel like going, I simply don't go.

If a place requires hours of queuing, too much walking or a complicated journey just for a photo, I might happily skip it.

There are plenty of places in the world.

I don't have to see everything in one trip.

And honestly, that's quite liberating.

I Like Slow Mornings When I Travel

One of my favourite things about being on holiday is actually doing very little in the morning.

Find a good café.

Order a cappuccino.

Sit down.

Watch the city wake up.

Maybe write a little. Maybe scroll through my photos. Maybe plan the day.

No rushing.

No checking the clock every 15 minutes.

Just coffee and a little bit of time to myself.

For me, that is part of the holiday.

Travel Has to Work With My Body Too

There is another reason I travel differently now.

I'm not 30s anymore.

And I think many women will understand this.

Your body starts giving you very clear feedback.

Too much walking?

You'll know.

Too many stairs?

You'll definitely know.

An itinerary that looks perfectly reasonable on paper can feel completely different when you're actually walking around a new city.

So I plan differently now.

I look at transportation.

I used to check where the metro stations are.

But now...Didi to everywhere.

I choose hotels based not only on how pretty they are, but also on location and accessibility.

And I leave space in the itinerary to rest.

That's not being lazy.

That's knowing yourself.

I Travel for the Little Moments

Of course, I still want to see beautiful places.

I still take photos.

I still get excited about autumn colours, old streets, beautiful architecture, night views, cruises and scenic train rides.

But some of my favourite travel memories aren't necessarily the famous attractions.

Sometimes it's sitting in a little café.

Walking through a quiet street.

Finding a tiny shop I wasn't looking for.

Watching locals go about their everyday lives.

Getting on the wrong metro exit and laughing about it later.

Having a really good meal after a long day.

Those ordinary moments somehow become part of the story.

I Don't Want My Holiday to Become a Photoshoot

I love taking photographs.

Obviously. 😂

But I don't want to spend the entire trip looking at a destination through my phone screen.

Sometimes I want to put the phone away.

Look around.

Take it all in.

Actually remember what the place looked like without having to scroll through my camera roll later.

A beautiful photograph is wonderful.

But the feeling of being there?

That's something else.

I Also Don't Mind Going Back

There is this idea that once you've visited somewhere, you should move on to somewhere new.

I'm not sure I agree.

If I loved a place, why wouldn't I go back?

I don't need every trip to be about discovering somewhere completely new.

Sometimes returning to a familiar city gives you the chance to experience it differently.

The first trip might be about the famous attractions.

The next one might be about cafés, neighbourhoods, shopping, food and simply wandering around.

You notice different things when you're not trying to see everything for the first time.

Maybe This Is What Getting Older Does to You

You become more selective.

You know what you like.

You know what you don't like.

You know when you're tired.

You know when you need a proper meal.

You know that a comfortable hotel can be worth paying a little more for.

And you stop feeling guilty about saying:

"No, I'm going to skip that one."

Because travel isn't a competition.

There is no prize for completing the longest itinerary.

There is no medal for walking the most steps.

And nobody is going to check how many attractions you managed to squeeze into 24 hours.

So What Does Travel Mean to Me Now?

It means curiosity.

It means getting out of my comfort zone sometimes.

It means discovering another city, another culture and another way of life.

It means good food, good coffee, beautiful views and unexpected little adventures.

But it also means knowing when to slow down.

These days, I want to come home with beautiful memories... not just beautiful photographs.

I want to remember the feeling of that cold morning.

The coffee I had before starting the day.

The train journey.

The street I accidentally discovered.

The sunset.

The little things that weren't even on my itinerary.

Maybe that's what travel becomes as we get older.

Less about how much we can fit into a trip...

and more about how much we can actually enjoy it.

And if that means taking a slower train, having another coffee break and leaving a few things unexplored?

I'm perfectly happy with that.

After all, there will always be another trip.

And hopefully...

another coffee waiting for me somewhere.