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It's 'clickbait', it's rubbish, but if you want to roll your eyes and shake your head


babs135
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I've done 6 out of the ten.:)

 

Actually, some of my best vacations were when I lost our itinerary for a day, got lost, didn't speak the language, luggage got lost, told a local I was a tourist, and/or embarrassed myself. :D

Edited by DirtyDawg
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I never have an itinerary that detailed. My level of comfort is to have a place to sleep each night. Beyond that, little, if anything, is pre-scheduled.

 

Getting lost is seldom a good thing, due to safety issues. But you CAN see some different sights.

 

Losing luggage and missing flight is just annoying. And missing a flight, can be expensive. Missed one last Dec, rebooking fee was 3x the cost of the flight.

 

In most countries, even some that speak English, I don't speak the language. :D

 

I do agree that visiting 3rd world countries can be a very good thing, I would not spend my own money to do so.

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Lets see...when I was a bit younger...Well, maybe a lot younger, my criteria for places to visit were 1) They don't use the same alphabet; 2) they don't use the same kind of toilet, and 3) You can't drink the water. Even if I don't speak the language, I've always felt I couldn't get lost in a country that used the same alphabet. I've never had my luggage lost, but from the very beginning, I always had a couple days clothing in my carryon. MMM...perhaps that only goes back as far as my first visit to China in 1983... EM

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Lose your Itinerary - Might be good for some people, might not be for others. I am the kind of person who tends to faff about and waste my vacation time when I "wing it" too much, so I prefer to have at least somewhat of a schedule. Doing stuff like sitting on the beach doesn't really interest me, I'd rather be doing an activity.

 

Embarrass Yourself - Definitely going to happen eventually, and I think it can be a good thing. I think the spirit of this one is "put yourself out there and take risks."

 

Get Lost - One of my best trip memories was picking a random exit to get out of the Grand Bazaar in Turkey and, starting from a position of being completely lost, finding my way back to my hotel.

 

Lose Your Tour Group - Wasn't an option for me on any trip I've been on, so I'm not sure about this one. I feel like it would be selfish to go off and have "personal time" while the others in your group might be putting their vacation on hold to look for you.

 

Visit a County where you don't Speak the Language - Definitely recommend! One of the best ways to get out of your comfort zone. And to be honest, a lot of English-speakers need to be taken down a peg in the ethnocentrism department. If you're one of those people who assumes that someone is stupid just because they are struggling to communicate with you in English, it will benefit you to be in the middle of a role-reversal.

 

Lose Your Luggage - This is one of the ones that actually annoys me. Maybe if you have a ton of disposable income it can be a ~fun adventure~ to lose all your belongings, but not everyone can afford to replace a big chunk of their wardrobe like that. This one is Instagram hippie BS.

 

Book Seats Separate from your Travelling Companions - Might not be a bad idea, just don't get too upset if the person next to you would rather be left alone than fulfil your quirky travel fantasy.

 

Miss Your Flight - Again, here's Johhny Moneybags telling you that it's no big deal to be out hundreds of dollars for a plane ticket or take an extra few days time off that you might not have.

 

Visit a Third World Country - Definitely recommend. "Third World" is a very nebulous term, and pretty much every list/map of "third world countries" is different because there's no single, agreed-upon definition. But I wouldn't skip out on South Africa, Mexico, India, Thailand, Iran, or Cambodia just because they have this distinction.

 

Let People Know You're a Tourist - Trust me, they know.

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The getting lost item reminds me of a great experience along the lines described. I was alone in Venice for the day before boarding a cruise, and set out into the alleyways to find a place for lunch. I went along looking for a good, authentic spot, by concentrating on places that had their menus posted only in Italian. I'd then peek in the door to see if (a) it was crowded, (b) it smelled like good food, and © the people inside were primarily speaking Italian. Got hopelessly lost doing this, but figured it'd all work out in the end.

 

Gradually, I came to realize that I was being followed by two men. Since there were plenty of people around, I didn't over-worry about this, but I was wary. Eventually, I found the place I wanted, and went in, thinking I'd lost my tail. A minute after being seated, who was seated next to me but the two men. I was about to bolt when one gentleman spoke up in English and apologized for frightening me. He explained that they'd just gotten off a cruise ship and were looking for a good meal. They saw what I was doing, figured I had a system, and decided to just follow me and eat where I chose to eat.

 

We all had a wonderful meal and afterward found our way back out of the maze together.

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You would want to make many of these mistakes to get out of the sterilized shell and have adventures!!!

 

I always get lost - I love to wander. The only time I've felt like I made a mistake was when the now-ex was driving us in Jerusalem and he made a wrong turn and got us into one of the Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods on a late Friday afternoon - some very upset people staring at us...

I frequently travel to countries where I do not speak the language. Never had a problem. Many times it is fun for me and the "local" to try to figure out a common way to communicate. Sometimes it brings a funny result: I asked for a vegetarian entree at one place - ended up with mac&cheese with ham bits - well, it wasn't red meat ;) I had a great "conversation" with an old woman who owned a jewelry store on Murano about different beads and history via a book and pointing out details in the beads. Only speaking English has not yet been a burden or an impediment to my travels.

I've totally enjoyed all my travels to '3rd world' countries. So, I got a little dirty. So I had to drink bottled water. I got to see how most of the world lives. I saw true joy in children who lived in mud huts who did not know they were "poor". I had a Druze herder up in the Carmel mountains in Israel invite me and my now-ex into his little hut for tea.

I made some cultural mistakes, but I ended up learning something in the process. Walking in Old Town Jerusalem on a Friday afternoon (why is always Friday that I blow it) down a passageway that I did not realize lead towards the Mosque - did not realize it was close to prayer time for the men - I was very politely told by some men walking that way that I would not be allowed. I thanked them for telling me that and I turned around.

 

You gotta travel outside the box!!!

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Can't really agree with several of these topics or the idea that it will "be fun." Probably the best advice from the whole article is to NOT panic. My second time in Venice I was sure that getting from the ship to St. Mark's Square would be no problem. Finally found my way there but got REALLY lost trying to get back to the ship. I did indeed see some less than favorable areas of Venice but I just kept moving until I finally got to a major canal and figured out which water taxi to take to get back. Just told myself don't panic even when I asked some locals for directions and was told, "we don't know!!"

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You would want to make many of these mistakes to get out of the sterilized shell and have adventures!!!

 

I always get lost - I love to wander. The only time I've felt like I made a mistake was when the now-ex was driving us in Jerusalem and he made a wrong turn and got us into one of the Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods on a late Friday afternoon - some very upset people staring at us...

I frequently travel to countries where I do not speak the language. Never had a problem. Many times it is fun for me and the "local" to try to figure out a common way to communicate. Sometimes it brings a funny result: I asked for a vegetarian entree at one place - ended up with mac&cheese with ham bits - well, it wasn't red meat ;) I had a great "conversation" with an old woman who owned a jewelry store on Murano about different beads and history via a book and pointing out details in the beads. Only speaking English has not yet been a burden or an impediment to my travels.

I've totally enjoyed all my travels to '3rd world' countries. So, I got a little dirty. So I had to drink bottled water. I got to see how most of the world lives. I saw true joy in children who lived in mud huts who did not know they were "poor". I had a Druze herder up in the Carmel mountains in Israel invite me and my now-ex into his little hut for tea.

I made some cultural mistakes, but I ended up learning something in the process. Walking in Old Town Jerusalem on a Friday afternoon (why is always Friday that I blow it) down a passageway that I did not realize lead towards the Mosque - did not realize it was close to prayer time for the men - I was very politely told by some men walking that way that I would not be allowed. I thanked them for telling me that and I turned around.

 

You gotta travel outside the box!!!

 

I read the article from the point of view of a senior citizen. If I read it as a 20 something I would probably have a different response. Used to be more adventurous in my youth now I realise I've become boring. Maybe I should try some of the suggestions :D:D

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I read the article from the point of view of a senior citizen. If I read it as a 20 something I would probably have a different response. Used to be more adventurous in my youth now I realise I've become boring. Maybe I should try some of the suggestions :D:D

 

Good for you. Spice up your vacations a little bit, but you may want to try one of the ten next time. All ten might be a bit much all on the same trip! :D

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Gee, I've done at least 5 of those "mistakes"!

 

My late DH & I got lost in Venice, wandering for several hours -- great! Also got lost driving in the UK countryside -- wonderful!

 

I always book an aisle seat on a plane, so I'm frequently separated from whomever (if anyone) I'm traveling with.

 

With my camera, day pack & cane, I guess I always look like a tourist. Besides, I often ask for help.

 

I don't speak French, Spanish, Italian, Swahili, Norwegian, Portugese or any other language except English, but that sure doesn't keep me from traveling!

 

As a solo senior, I'm not quite as adventuresome as in the past, but that's one of the main reasons I cruise -- I can better manage my adventures.

 

3rd world, 2nd world, 1st world -- who cares? As long as I get to visit it!

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I read the article from the point of view of a senior citizen. If I read it as a 20 something I would probably have a different response. Used to be more adventurous in my youth now I realise I've become boring. Maybe I should try some of the suggestions :D:D

 

I'm in my 60s. I still travel this way, even as a "mature" solo woman. Go ahead and try some of those suggestions!!! Live Life Out Loud!!! I'd rather make a few mistakes out walking in the midday sun on my own than looking at life from the air conditioned comfort of a private tour car, isolated from the world. ;)

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