How to Get Lost While Travelling
Johanna Ella May Erroba Johanna is officially a bum by day, public management (master's) student when she has homework, English tutor by night, singer-musician in the shower, wanna-be beauty and fashion expert when she feels like it, cook and baker on the weekends, techie and travel junkie on pay-days, photographer and videographer on random days, a neat freak all year round, and her new found passion is community development. And just like most millennials, she loves to travel. She expresses all of her musings on Camera and Cheese.
Oftentimes when we travel, we go through all the fuss of planning our itinerary, making a budget of potential expenses and researching about places to go and where to eat. Wanderlust nowadays has a whole different meaning. We never "wander" any more. We avoid the thought of getting lost in an unknown place. But don't get me wrong here; when I say lost, I mean the good kind of "lost". If the modern definition of travelling has got you clouded, here's a quick guide on how to get #wanderLOST while travelling.
Also read: I Got Lost in Italy and Found Myself Having the Best Day Ever
1. Be spontaneous
Getting lost is all about being spontaneous. For a really organised person like myself, it might be extremely difficult to just go with the flow. Don't be too rigid; break some rules. Is cliff diving part of the plan? Who cares? JUST.DO.IT.
2. Plan only the basics
Okay, you can't be TOO spontaneous. Plan your basic travel itinerary like flights and accommodation but that's it. Don't get too worked up on minute-by-minute schedules or early morning hassle tours.
3. Meet locals and make new friends
Locals know best. Try to be one by communicating to them, learning their culture and way of living, and eventually being friends with them. They'll take you to the real hidden gems and the road-less-travelled!
4. Commute
The easiest way for a traveller to get lost, even unintentionally, is by commuting. Been there, done that -- so many times! In the end, after all the "trouble" of finding your way back to a more familiar place, you're left with funny memories of how you got lost.
Also read: Greetings, Munich! – It’s Okay to be Lost
5. Pack light
You have to always be on the go if you ought to be spontaneous. Pack multi-purpose pieces and bring only what you truly need. Girls, I know it's hard but you have to try. Stop the I-will-bring-this-in-case-of-emergency mentality.
6. Disconnect
This is perhaps the hardest to do. Might I die without my mobile phone and internet? How can we share our trip to the rest of the world? Well, the answer is you don't. Switch everything off. Go for a hike and enjoy the fresh air. Rest your eyeballs from all your digital activities. You'll thank me later.
7. Take caution but don't be afraid
While you're out and about, be aware of your surroundings. Try to get a feel of how secure the place is. If you aren't comfortable being alone at an unfamiliar place, then go with a trusted companion. Take caution but don't be afraid to explore.
Also read: 12 Safest and Cheapest Countries to Travel SOLO!
So, are you ready to get #wanderLOST? You better be. Sometimes, the best things in life are the unexpected ones.