The start of a new year hits us like a blank page. How will we fill it?
For many, especially those of us of a certain age, travel is on the agenda, which is why I love going to the annual Chicago Travel and Adventure Show in Rosemont, which takes place this weekend.
But let us not confuse travel with vacation. While both require a chunk of time and money, they are not one and the same.
Vacation implies indulgence, a break from routine, a deep dive into the foods, weather and activities we love and maybe don’t get enough of while towing the home-work life.
Travel is the opposite in many ways, a foray into something new, out of our comfort zone, a different place with different foods, different money, different language.
While vacation often lets us control the way things go, travel lets the way control us.
I need both. And if you’re savvy, you can blend both into a single trip. Doing that requires research, planning and a keen understanding of your personal limits.
Be honest with yourself about how much money you can spend, how much patience you have and how much down time you need.
Do you love or loathe the thought of sitting in a lounge chair all day? As welcoming as that may seem to Chicagoans in January, for me, it gets boring pretty quickly. If I’m going to pay hundreds of dollars a day, I want more than a sunburn in return.
Are you a mover — someone who needs to walk, hike, explore? We are, so we work that into our itineraries.
Are you friendly? We have met many wonderful people along the way. We have also met some not-so-wonderful people but we try not to linger on that.
Can you adapt to different climates and different cultures? Hotels in foreign countries often only have TV in said languages. Can you go without your favorite food or drink? We need our big, honking American coffee every day, so if we travel to Europe where the coffees are tiny, we pack a portable Keurig-type machine.
Are you resourceful? Once in Paris, we struggled with the menu at a well-known, somewhat snooty restaurant. We turned to the table next to us — a mother and daughter — and asked for help. They were so lovely. They read it to us and then invited us to the hotel they owned on Corsica.
Can you sit in an airport for hours without losing your mind? Wasted time is a struggle for me. Books, travel games and circling the terminal on foot helps. If you want to see far-off places, though, you have to endure the waits to get there.
Leaving your home, whether in search of respite or adventure, requires preparation. You must prepay bills, set up care for children or pets as well as airport transportation.
Then there’s the pack. I recommend setting out everything you think you’ll need and reducing it by half. Once you’ve wheeled two suitcases and a carry-on through the streets of Barcelona (or anywhere), you will understand.
And unless you’re headed to the Equator or North Pole, pack for both hot and cold weather. Dress in layers. Don’t let the seasons guide you. We have shivered across France and Belgium during an unseasonably cold spring. And the blue jeans and hoodies never left the case during our August trip to the Grand Canyon. We’ve been chilly in Key West and overheated in Edinburgh. Taking a cruise? Remember your mother’s advice and bring a sweater. The only time I haven’t needed one at night was when we were off the coast of Venezuela.
Things I always bring regardless of destination: hand sanitizer, power cords, good shoes, maps of our destination, sunscreen, head phones, toilet paper, hard candy and Motrin.
Travel insurance is a must in this post-COVID world. I have never in my life had to cancel, postpone and change things as much as I’ve had to these past few years. These days, we always opt for cancellable flights and hotel rooms.
Also, check your cell phone service provider to see if calls and texts are covered. We paid hundreds of dollars after my father had a health crisis while we were on a cruise. We had purchased the travel package but didn’t realize it did not cover “at sea” service.
Expect the unexpected. When we were in Milan, there were random day-strikes. The city’s transit system simply shut down. We waited hours for nonunion attendants to get our bags off the plane. Another day, we hustled the two-plus miles to our meeting point because taxi and bus drivers were on strike. Along the way we saw parents riding their kids to school on bicycles.
Learn to adapt. And, remember, you’re the visitor, so be gracious.
Travel can be tiring, expensive and boring for long stretches. But, like a vacation, it also can be wonderful, restorative and mind blowing at times.
Some say travel changes you. For me, it instills the qualities I want to reinforce. I want to be more patient, more adventurous, more adaptable. And I want to have incredible stories to share.
So, before you plan a trip, know yourself.
Then take that trip and know yourself better.
Donna Vickroy is an award-winning reporter, editor and columnist who worked for the Daily Southtown for 38 years.
