Travel 101 Continuing Education, with Heather H. Klaus

Tip #462—buy a good guidebook. (Have I said this before?) They can be costly, around 25 or 30 dollars, but this is money well spent. I am in love, I repeat LOVE with the Rick Steve’s Guidebooks. He is my travel god, and guide. Completely nerdy guy, but man, does he make traveling easy! His books are little tidbits of history and culture that make you feel exceptionally smart, like you’re getting some insider information about the town and people you’re experiencing. Not to mention that he has free podcasts on itunes of historic walks in quite a few European cities. We downloaded his guided walk through Paris as well as his museum tours for both the Louvre and the Orsay. He rocks.

Tip #573—Your perception about a city you’re visiting is hugely based on something so simple as how you feel that day. Yes, this town you are borrowing is a new and vibrant place, something that has its very own feel and story. But...you are taking it in through your eyes, filtering it through your mind your own story. It can’t help but be colored by what is going on in your own life at that very moment.

I offer up our trip to Istanbul. Amazing town, but that weekend Tim was at a stalemate between two job offers in two completely different places. Unfortunately, both of us were probably pretty darn distracted. Not to mention that it rained from start until the day we left, which always makes things more difficult. (The weather has the same affect on me as being hungry--sheesh, can I be a monster!) The opposite happened in Paris. We didn’t have a major life decision to wrestle with, and this time around, the weather was beautiful. Thus, a great trip. We’ve read (probably in Rick) that traveling requires you to be insanely optimistic. Couldn’t agree more. When we approach a city with a free and open mind, it always seems to go surprisingly well. If you come in with a lot of baggage (both literally and figuratively) it'll weigh you down and you're probably gonna miss an awful lot. Of course, as with most things…easier said than done.