6 Reasons to Take Your Next Trip

Each summer I have had a number of friends visit me in Boulder, Colorado. These friends aren’t wide-eyed tourists, but rather world travelers who I have guided on walking trips to some of the most beautiful destinations on Earth. They’ve been to Europe more times than they can count, hiked in Peru, Patagonia, and Nepal, sailed along the Turkish coast and scuba dived in Indonesia. They aren’t easily wowed. But nonetheless, they wonder why I would ever want to leave my hometown. The weather is nearly perfect, we have the mountain playground in our backyard, and great festivals, farmers markets, music, shopping, dining … and if we need to experience a different culture we can just hop down to Santa Fe for the weekend. Right?

Who needs to escape beyond your home town? Beyond your state? Beyond the US?

We all do! Get out your passport; here’s what you need to know.

Disconnect
Traveling within the US, it’s easy to stay connected. For many of us, it’s actually difficult to disconnect. Our Blackberries are vibrating; our email box is full; we are thinking about work, family, finances, news. Even when we are in the mountains, we’re thinking maybe we should get home … beat the traffic, get some work done, catch up before the week begins.

When we travel to a destination where the language and culture are different, we spend a significant amount of time figuring out how to live day to day. We slow down. This is good for us. We are consumed by simple things, like what to eat and how to greet people we meet. Visiting a market or biking to the next village becomes exotic. We feel a huge sense of accomplishment when we successfully order a cup of coffee or read a local train schedule.

We return home with olive oil from a producer we met, a textile from a village we visited, a stamp on our passport. Oh, and we also have a new form of social currency when we join our friends out for tapas or ceviche; we scour the produce and grocery aisle looking for items that connect us to our travel experience.

Reconnect
I believe there are valuable, long-term results that come from going across the pond/border/continent. We read the paper and listen to the news differently. We picture the people in the villages, we feel the texture of the land, we taste the unique flavors of food, we think about the differences and similarities. It is difficult to return from Europe and not re-evaluate our desire for large cars and complaints around the price of gas. Visiting developing countries makes us question our quest for accumulating larger houses and material goods. Traveling with one suitcase or backpack refreshes our reality of what we really need. Experiencing long meals surrounded by friends and family as a daily occurrence brings about the pondering of independence and interdependence.

So, where to go? Here are a few tips and suggestions. Keep in mind these are my personal preferences and not for everyone.

What are you looking for? Classic adventure or cutting-edge travel? I classify destinations into these three categories. Think about what you are looking for before you choose a destination.

• Classic: Italy, Ireland, Australia, etc. (well-known, must-see destinations, and easy to travel within)
• Adventure: Patagonia, Himalayas, Inca Trail, Kilimanjaro (remote, more physically demanding, uncertain weather and transportation).
• Cutting edge: Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Laos (just off the radar for most people)

Go under the radar
For your most unique and authentic travel experience, look deeper. Look under the radar. This opportunity exists in every travel category.

Most of us travel to Peru to see Machu Picchu without spending more than a day in the nearby Urubamba Valley, which offers ancient ruins, remote villages, and incredible hikes. We connect Italy with Tuscany or the Cinque Terre without considering Sardegna and Puglia. Our destination is Patagonia and we spend little time researching the island of Chiloé in Chile or the wine country of Mendoza in Argentina.

Cutting-edge destinations are often completely under the radar. A few years ago I took 18 women on a hiking trip to Slovenia. Not one of them knew exactly where it was when they sent their deposit. Slovenia resembles Switzerland 50 years ago. It contains 180 mountain huts, has just over 40 kilometers of coastline, and is one of the most -- if not the most -- beautiful countries I have visited.

Croatia, the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), and Ladakh are three of my favorite new discoveries. Certain countries or regions have only recently developed a tourist infrastructure. Go when the infrastructure is established but before you find it in the travel magazines (or on Matt Lauer’s “Where in the World” list).

Cities vs. countryside
My personal feeling is that unless you absolutely love cities, spend as little time in them as possible on your first trip to the destination. Large cities can take up a good deal of time and energy and in general don’t offer the authentic experiences you might find in smaller villages or towns. Paris, London and Rome aren’t changing that quickly. It is easier to get back to cities for a shorter vacation in the years ahead. Of course, flying into these destinations and having a day or two to adjust and explore is great.

Villages vs. wilderness
Wilderness areas around the world, like in our backyard, make a stunning impression. But it’s the villages we stay in; the people we meet on the local paths and in the mountain huts; the owner of the local trattoria; the farmers, weavers, and school children that are the connections that will stay with us and make us feel like we really have had an experience. I recommended making villages a major part of your escape.

Self guided vs. small group
If you are short on time and want to have a through-the-back-door experience, I recommend signing up with one of the great small tour operators, many of whom are based here in Boulder. Trips range in price based on your accommodation needs (and often the size of the brochure, so ask for references). Each one should connect you with a local guide who knows the best bike and hiking routes, great local restaurants, and everyone in the area. If you have time and love planning your itinerary, the self-guided experience is great, but know that you’ll likely be working through guidebooks or travel sites which offer the same information that every other tourists is using.

So, dust off (or apply for) your passport, use your frequent flyer miles, check out deals to London and do extra research on carriers within Europe who offer incredible deals for getting about in Europe. Book a hiking tour, cooking course, volunteer vacation, rent a villa for your entire family, or do a house trade. Traveling internationally offers a new and always valuable perspective. And know your escape is justified.  

Green Note:  Think about offsetting your flights "carbon footprint", ask the local tour operator what they do to support sustainable tourism (many companies are now paying for the carbon footprint of the vehicles and lodges).  Ask if they employee local guides, stay at locally owned accommodations, focus on regional cuisine and support environmental practices.  Check out  tour operator members on http://www.sustainabletravelinternational.org