Your concept of vanilla travelers is spot on! Fantastic job articulating the very real challenge of actually getting foreign when in foreign lands. Such a easy but costly mistake to make. Only one question: where's your next trip to??
Love Potts' stuff! 'Vagabonding' changed our lives on the road! One thing I will say tho is: we eventually discovered a tension between how we wanted to live (ie, vagabonding, backpacking, adventurous-style "going with the flow" type of travel) and the life we actually need to live (ie, reliable wifi, quiet workspace, supermarkets and good restaurant options nearby).
In the end, we've had to dispense with the Potts way of travel and accept that we'll have to take time off work to do that at some point in the future—which we absolutely will!
Andriy! This was a fantastic essay. Vanilla traveller is a really sticky title and it's a perfect description. Banger!!
I had my first Vagabonding adventure this year to Spain, Italy, and a few other countries. After dropping out of college I read Vagabonding then eventually got the courage to book a one-way flight to Spain.
I had so much to figure out, never even going to Europe in the past. But you know what? It all worked out. I had such a fun, intuitive, amazing adventure. Those "off the beaten path" adventures are what life is all about. I think taking small seasons in life to be spontaneous and adventurous is so valuable and life-changing in a world where we (or at least my past self) obsess over 4-year plans and next steps.
Loved this quote:
"The downside is that these experiences are often commoditized and left with no soul. Sure, the beach is beautiful, but in many cases, the food is Westernized, such as acai bowls and burgers with fries. The subject of this experience will be hanging out with many of the same people where they came from with nothing new to bring back except a potential sunburn."
Vagabonding is such a great book. It's one of those dated yet timeless books. Thank you for writing this!!
Thanks for reading! Rolf Potts also came out with his new book, The Vagabond's Way, that I am reading. It's intended to be a much slower reader so I didn't want to rush through it for this article. Check it out if you have time! :-)
Great essay Andriy! I can relate to the vanilla traveler's perspective myself. I've been trying to find more ways to travel slow and really see places outside of the classic tourist spots in the last few years. I also loved Vagabonding. I believe there's a line from that book that says something like "if you're ever bored just walk until your day becomes interesting" and I've found that to work 99% of the time in a new or even an old familiar city. Thanks for writing this!
Your concept of vanilla travelers is spot on! Fantastic job articulating the very real challenge of actually getting foreign when in foreign lands. Such a easy but costly mistake to make. Only one question: where's your next trip to??
Thanks for the read! i have been in mexico the last 2 years so I have been exploring here. A few places I want to explore in the next 2 years are:
- Baja California
- North Spain
- Istanbul
- Peru
- go back to Brazil to Rio and explore some new spots
Love Potts' stuff! 'Vagabonding' changed our lives on the road! One thing I will say tho is: we eventually discovered a tension between how we wanted to live (ie, vagabonding, backpacking, adventurous-style "going with the flow" type of travel) and the life we actually need to live (ie, reliable wifi, quiet workspace, supermarkets and good restaurant options nearby).
In the end, we've had to dispense with the Potts way of travel and accept that we'll have to take time off work to do that at some point in the future—which we absolutely will!
thanks for reading!
👌🏻
I deeply love that book, glad you wrote about it, awesome stories!
thanks for reading! :-)
Andriy! This was a fantastic essay. Vanilla traveller is a really sticky title and it's a perfect description. Banger!!
I had my first Vagabonding adventure this year to Spain, Italy, and a few other countries. After dropping out of college I read Vagabonding then eventually got the courage to book a one-way flight to Spain.
I had so much to figure out, never even going to Europe in the past. But you know what? It all worked out. I had such a fun, intuitive, amazing adventure. Those "off the beaten path" adventures are what life is all about. I think taking small seasons in life to be spontaneous and adventurous is so valuable and life-changing in a world where we (or at least my past self) obsess over 4-year plans and next steps.
Loved this quote:
"The downside is that these experiences are often commoditized and left with no soul. Sure, the beach is beautiful, but in many cases, the food is Westernized, such as acai bowls and burgers with fries. The subject of this experience will be hanging out with many of the same people where they came from with nothing new to bring back except a potential sunburn."
Vagabonding is such a great book. It's one of those dated yet timeless books. Thank you for writing this!!
Thanks for reading! Rolf Potts also came out with his new book, The Vagabond's Way, that I am reading. It's intended to be a much slower reader so I didn't want to rush through it for this article. Check it out if you have time! :-)
https://www.amazon.com/Vagabonds-Way-Meditations-Wanderlust-Discovery-ebook/dp/B09PR55M51
Cheers!
Great essay Andriy! I can relate to the vanilla traveler's perspective myself. I've been trying to find more ways to travel slow and really see places outside of the classic tourist spots in the last few years. I also loved Vagabonding. I believe there's a line from that book that says something like "if you're ever bored just walk until your day becomes interesting" and I've found that to work 99% of the time in a new or even an old familiar city. Thanks for writing this!