The one change that worked: I stopped planning holidays – and found the joy in travel
📖 Full Retelling
<p>I used to scroll through scores of online reviews to put together a trip itinerary before I’d even left home. Now I just let my feet – and my nose – guide me wherever I go </p><p>I have always been indecisive and scared of wasting money. When it came to travel, this meant I was forever desperate for someone to tell me where to go, what to see and what to eat. Before any holiday or day out, I’d already scoured the area on Google Earth, watched endless videos on social media,
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The one change that worked: I stopped planning holidays – and found the joy in travel I used to scroll through scores of online reviews to put together a trip itinerary before I’d even left home. Now I just let my feet – and my nose – guide me wherever I go I have always been indecisive and scared of wasting money. When it came to travel, this meant I was forever desperate for someone to tell me where to go, what to see and what to eat. Before any holiday or day out, I’d already scoured the area on Google Earth, watched endless videos on social media, and read scores of online reviews. I knew exactly where I was going before I’d even left my house. My Google Maps would be filled with saved spots and I would build a plan to cram them all into a few days’ holiday. I was reluctant to go anywhere without a well-recommended “hidden gem” in my back pocket. Sometimes, one of those places I’d scouted out weeks in advance would truly be sensational. Bistrot Victoires in Paris, for instance, really did earn its spot on a top 10 list (the duck confit was incredible), and I was glad to have done the research to find a good, affordable place to eat in a notoriously expensive city. But more often than not, reality fell far short of what was promised. The images of colourful, likely Photoshopped views, unspoilt historical landmarks and huge, gourmet, mouthwatering sandwiches I’d come across online would turn out to be utterly underwhelming in real life. However, I realised that in the process of trying to curate the perfect day, I had completely forgotten what it is that makes these experiences joyful in the first place: spontaneity. Even on holiday, the one time of the year when routine is supposed to go out of the window, every day was planned with military precision – and it was sucking the fun out of it. Without realising, I’d turned travelling into admin. So, a year ago, I made a change. I banned myself from reading reviews and excessive planning for a trip to Barcelona. No l...
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