A Hot Take:
Planning is the Best Part of Traveling.
Ok, maybe I’m one of the few people who share that feeling. I understand that this isn’t everyone’s thing
But genuinely, I am someone that enjoys – thrives on even – doing endless amounts of research for destinations that I may never even visit. I can’t tell you the number of half-baked itinerary spreadsheets currently sitting in my Google Drive just waiting for the opportunity to come to life. I have never been a spontaneous person, and my travel style isn’t either. I don’t like to waste my time when I’m visiting a new city, so before going anywhere, I have heavily researched that place to find the best spots.
When I travel, I seek out what is cool, unique and beautiful in every city or country that I visit. Maybe that makes me a hipster, but you can count on Traverse to be a resource for finding exactly the vibe you want to enjoy in your destination. Whether it is interesting street art, the latest delicious restaurant to open or a funky hotel that is worthy of your Instagram feed, I research the coolest spots so that my readers don’t have to.
What I love most about the planning process is the acquisition of knowledge. I am obsessed with “discovery” through research, because it feels like I am learning about and getting to know a new place from afar. Researching restaurants leads me down a rabbit hole of learning about local chefs and regional cooking, knowledge I didn’t have before. Then when I actually go to the restaurant or market that I researched, I can engage in conversation, ask questions and deepen my understanding of what they’re selling or cooking. By educating yourself about things ahead time, you can enrich your in-country experience even more!
I do the planning so you don't have to.
Actually Useful Advice
If you’ve researched or planned a trip using the internet lately, then you know how much junk you have to wade through until you find actually useful resources. I usually have like 938712 unhelpful Chrome tabs open when I’m planning my trips, which I find so frustrating! I am going to hulk the hell out if I have to look at another click baiting article like “10 photos to inspire a trip to ____” that doesn’t give me any real information and only wants to sell me Lightroom presets.
Sure, travel can sometimes be about seeing the famous sights or snapping the perfect Instagram photo; but travel can be a lot more than that too. As millennials, we seek experiences. We seek cool and interesting things. We seek quality. That is what I want my travel content to be about.
I want this blog to have actually useful resources and time-saving solutions for travelers interested in similar experiences as me. I write detailed and thorough blog posts like trendy Chicago neighborhood guides which are all good stuff, none of the fluff. I help you discover unique destinations you may never have considered and give my readers insider tips that will make you feel like a local in whatever city you’re visiting.
Helpful Travel How-To Guides
ExpertlyCrafted Itineraries
For many North Americans, 2 weeks is the standard amount of vacation time, while Europeans might have longer. Regardless of your situation, my actually useful two week travel itineraries are perfect for really diving into the culture, food and history of a place!
Need a quick getaway? Head out on vacation for 1 week! These short but detailed itineraries are perfect when you just need a break from it all, but can’t take too much time off of work.
One of the best ways to maximize limited time off while still enjoying a short vacation is a long weekend! Whether you’re extending a bank holiday or adding on a day or two to your weekend, these long weekend itineraries are perfect for busy people looking for a short break.
Sometimes you can only squeeze in a one or two day city break, but these short trips are a great chance to recharge while exploring a new destination. My 24 and 48 hour itineraries will take you on a perfect city getaway!
What You Really
Need to Know
If I had to choose the most important lesson I have learned from travel, I think it would be how to set realistic expectations. When you purchase a trip or plan a vacation, you are paying for the expectation of a future experience; thus, building up that trip in your mind will impact your experience of it in the future. If you expect something to be the best trip ever, your likelihood of being disappointed might be higher than if you more appropriately thought of the trip as a good opportunity to relax.
Often what you think matters when you travel versus what actually matters when you travel are quite different, so I aim for my blog posts to help you understand the things that will really impact your travel experience. This blog won’t tell you to avoid visiting something or that you shouldn’t go somewhere; but it is going to help you set a realistic vision of what to expect. Whether it is the 5 things I wish someone had told me before visiting the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, or what it is actually like to stay in a glass igloo hotel in Finland, I share some of the things I have learned so that you know exactly what to expect before traveling somewhere.
