When reading the title of this article, you probably ask yourself “how else can I be”? But I am actually not referring to physical presence but rather mental and emotional one. If we are sure of one thing with this pandemic, it is that nothing will be the same again and that we will have to learn to travel again.
Many travelers practice meditation and yoga, read about mindfulness, but when traveling, they do not carry out anything they have learned, they prefer to run, see a thousand things in record time, without taking the necessary time to enjoy, to “be present” in the experiences they are living, which generates stress and lack of concentration in what they see, feel, eat or drink. I realized this because in recent days, I assisted a class on conscious eating, which left me wondering why we don’t do the same throughout the travel experience?
I have been asked by many travelers, right in the middle of their meal, what they are going to see in the next city or country, instead of enjoying their dish, the square in front of them, savoring the wine they are drinking, talking with the waiter or simply enjoying the moment with their companions.
Or -I include myself- instead of enjoying a delicious dinner, we are uploading everything to Instagram, answering WhatsApp messages, letting go of everything beautiful and delicious that we have in front of us. We do not know how to be present even on trips.
How to learn to live in the moment?
Choose less for more
With Covid-19 and the closures of many countries, it is evident that we will not be able (at least this summer), to travel from country to country. Many people choose Europe, in addition to the beauty of the old continent, for the ease of moving around between countries. It is easier to go to more places in less time. Logically, those who travel from the American continent, due to the cost of tickets and long flight hours, want to take advantage to see as much as possible. But sometimes fewer places and more quality time is better. Why not just choose one, two or three countries, depending on the time available, to visit them at ease and enjoy them intensely.
Connect with nature
Combine cities with activities in nature that allow you to connect with the place and disconnect your mind. For example, I really like walking in nature, I almost always try to include a national park or forest, I feel like I connect better with the place. For example, you can visit a lively city like Malaga and plan an excursion to the Torcal de Antequera or snorkel at a hidden beach. Activities in nature make you disconnect and focus on where you are walking, climbing, swimming or the concentration that each one requires.
Visit small towns
In rural areas, it is easier for you to get into the culture and chat with the local people. There are small corners that many avoid, but that fill you with peace, allow you to know better and invite you to live in the moment. If I learned something in Andalusia, it was precisely to enjoy the little towns, I felt that it was in them that I managed to get to know their culture, their traditions and their people.
Appreciate the local production
When you visit a vineyard, a farm, a cheese factory, an oil mill, etc., you learn how the production works, you have the opportunity to taste those local products and see everything that is involved in the process, you will give more value to what you are going to eat on your trip… I assure you that the next olive will taste different. Take the time, value the effort of the local producer and just enjoy.
Eat, drink… slowly
I remember that several years ago in Croatia, I learned what slow food was, a movement born in Italy that defends the slow process of food, to appreciate food more and everything that its production or elaboration of dishes entails. We were at a small restaurant hidden on a hill, with a beautiful view of the sea and it took a long time to prepare our fish (which the owner had caught that morning).
Little by little, they served us salads, cheeses, local products and wines. The first minutes, I have to admit, were disconcerting, but afterwards we appreciated each dish and gave ourselves the time to enjoy the view. After 11 years, it is the restaurant that I remember the most from that country. In a few words, with slow food you give yourself the pleasure of eating, at a slow pace. Why travel and eat in a hurry, when gastronomy is part of experiencing a country.
Don’t compare your trip
Comparing your trip with the one of your friends, the photos of Instagram or what someone you know uploaded to Facebook, causes stress and competition. Each traveler is different, what impacted your friend does not necessarily have to be your best experience. Sometimes so much time is wasted (in quantity and quality) just to take a picture that thousands of other people have taken, that you lose out on other things that you might like more. What could be discovered if we did not focus so much on following others.
Finally, I am not saying that we should take a yoga class in every city or that you have to include spiritual retreats, I simply suggest (including to myself) that you disconnect a little, do not pressure yourself or live in “future tense”, better try to “be” at every moment of your trip through the simplest day-to-day situations.
We know that it is time to stay at home, but when everything has passed and you want to travel again, remember that at our travel agency Tripdreaming, we organize everything 100% customized. For more information, please contact me at silvia.lucero@tripdreaming.com.
For editorial questions, please contact me at silvia.lucero@latrotamundos.com.
