I feel there are 3 types of locations you can vacation to - urban, beach and mountain. A good vacation for me combines 2 of these with varied levels of intensities. If my vacation was simply to hang out on a beach I will get bored quick. However, if I did a great hike or rambled through a city and then headed to a beach to relax, I would find that a great mix and a recipe for vacation success.
Walking a vibrant city has become one of my favorite vacations. On a recent trip to New York I found it magical to walk in and out of neighborhoods, stopping from time to time at a cafe or bar, and then move on. I had it in my mind I was in a massive art museum and each neighborhood was a gallery room and there were art exhibits everywhere. This does get exhausting at times and every city is going to have some challenges. If you can then get to a beach before or after that can certainly take the edge off. But I have found most cities will also have some green space as a good respite, which is what they are designed for.
Living in a major metropolitan area there is always a call to the mountains. Getting out in nature and breathing in some forrest is always good for my soul. The hiking or snowboarding I plan seems to always have a level of intensity, so while I physically still can hike and snowboard I should plan more of these trips, with maybe some beach after the hike. I can hit the hot tub after snowboarding.
In general, I am not a fan of places where as a visitor I am the means of livelihood for the place I am visiting. This dynamic seems to come into play for so many of the beach vacations I have experienced. I get the argument that you are bringing a livelihood to a place where there might not be one. However, I seem to have an aversion to the attention. But maybe the larger issue is that I feel the biggest issue of our time is the wealth and income inequality gap. Traveling to places where there is a key delineation between the haves and the have nots and I am the have makes me feel like I am the problem. I also fear the tourism industry in these locales drive unnatural decision making by the government and law officials. How these officials deal with incidents with tourists so that the industry is not harmed I can imagine would make most people cringe.
I also assume the local population not involved with tourism are annoyed with the tourists. I like to get out in the morning for a run. I feel it allows me to get a lay of the land to set my bearings and get a feel for the place, especially as the location and me wake up to start the day. I have found that places where not all locals are bought into tourism you can sense it quickly. Nodding to a local walking down the street or cars giving you a berth while on the road can be clear indicators of how the locals feel about you being there.
Another problem I have with international travel, which has only been to Europe and Asia though I imagine this would be found most places outside the US, is that every worker seems to have their job description and they strictly stick to it. So if you are at a restaurant ordering drinks and the bartender is swamped, no one will go behind the bar to help, like pouring beer and soft drinks. If the wait staff are slammed, the bartender will not lend a hand to deliver the drinks. I feel this is less so in the US where you would see more people pitching in. Internationally, I feel like I am constantly looking for the wait staff, especially when it is time for the check. I get it you do not want a customer to feel rushed to leave, but getting the check in these places is just ridiculous.
One good thing I have found is to book a tour guide the day after landing. Not only to immerse yourself in the tour theme (markets in Istanbul and Acropolis in Athens), but also to have a local you can bounce questions off of regarding life as a local and to get recommendations for the rest of the trip.
Overall, glad to have taken a big vacation like this with my family. Generally we got a long. No underlying familial issue brewing that surfaced after a week being constantly together. However, I am unsure how well I’m suited for international travel, especially exotic locales where you cannot drink the tap water or asked not to flush toilet paper. Maybe some day I’ll learn how to use a bidet. There seems to be a number of downsides to these places. My hydration is one of them. But there is also a whole host of other things that go with it.
