One of the interesting things I have noticed from my 3+ years on the road is how the act of organizing my days around sightseeing has diminished. What was once the backbone of any travel experience for me is now more of an afterthought in the places I visit. Of course this is not always true, and certainly there are places that absolutely must be seen — The Great Pyramids in Egypt, Ephesus ruins in Turkey and Plitvice Lakes in Croatia were not to be missed (and there are many others.) 

During my recent visit to India, I found myself four hours away from the Taj Mahal. How could I not see it? Though to be truthful, before I committed to go, my mind went to the reality of being on a long uncomfortable drive, over perilous roads of oncoming traffic, then getting out of my taxi and fighting the inevitable crowds, all with the same idea to capture a selfie viewing one of the most iconic treasures of the world —  and doing so in a way that looks like you have it all to yourself. Then turning around for the exhausting trip home. 

Well I did it and was glad I did.

But that is not always the case. I remember being on the coast of southern Albania and hearing about some interesting Roman ruins a short drive away. I like Roman ruins. I’ve been amazed how their reach penetrated far and wide. They were a powerhouse for sure. But I decided walking around the little town I was staying in, checking out shops, restaurants and beaches would be more fun. I never saw the ruins. 

The more I have traveled, the more this has repeated itself again and again. 

Finding the iconic building, museum, painting, park, mountain, waterfall, or whatever can be an exciting part of any trip, but after seeing museum after museum, ruins and more ruins, mosques and more mosques, it’s hard not to get a little numb. At least it’s been that way for me and other long term travelers I’ve met. 

Call it an overabundance of history.

So if I’m not structuring my days around sightseeing, what am I doing? In other words, how do I spend my time? Good question.

I basically wake up in the morning, catch up on some correspondence, have coffee, then see how I feel. Since I don’t usually have a constrained time frame to explore whatever city or area I’m in, I indulge myself in the moment. This of course is easier since I mostly travel alone. It is also interesting to see how my focus has changed over these years of travel. Yes I am interested in history. In culture. In architecture, and the natural world. But I am also interested in “taking in” wherever I find myself. Taking in the air. The sounds. The smells. Watching how people walk. How they relate to strangers. Are they in a hurry (rare outside of westernized cities)? How they eat and what they drink. What music is playing. 

This is where the magic is.

And of course, there is the food. How can I resist?

These are the memories I’m building. The ones that fascinate me. I feel the world I am in right now — the one unfolding under my eyes — will be gone tomorrow. And just that fact alone makes me humble. Makes me feel that what I am seeing and experiencing is a fleeting gift. It is a world that will not be left in a museum for others to ponder years in the future. But this is how I will remember what I saw, who I was, and and how I fit into our amazing, ever changing planet. 

And sometimes… I do nothing at all.

Thanks, as always, for reading.