How to manage your Expectations and Attitude on a trip
Travel is the dream; you see the ads on Tv or in a magazine; with the sun-kissed people walking along the beautiful white sandy beaches; the blue sky; my personal favourite photos of Icons with NO people in it; or even getting swept away with the stories of finding your one true love in Paris. Let’s talk about realistic Expectations and Attitude when travelling.
Not to burst your bubble but it is not always like that; every country has its own unique identity, cultures and traditions. These differences are what makes them special and desirable to visit; it is not like being at home. Most times you will be thrown well out of your comfort zone so go in with an open mind! What can you do to ensure a fantastic trip, it starts with your Expectations and Attitude.
Keep a Positive Attitude
Just think about this you have saved for 2, 4, 6 months or even a year; to be able to afford to take a trip to your dream destination. The extra shifts at work, going without socialising on the weekend; all so that you can go and experience the world. The worst thing you can do when travelling is setting off with high expectations; of the picture-perfect image you saw online or in the magazine.
Your Expectations and Attitude while travelling can make or break your dream trip!
Keep in mind the mixture of cultures you will encounter, and accept the fact that those people may have different ideas or options to you. Trust me these will be the things you remember about a country both good and bad; the bad ones usually make the best stories once you get back home. For example; you might be walking down the street and see someone spitting into the gutter; just because we don’t do it here at home doesn’t mean it wrong. It is just different from what you are used to. You might get to Venice and you only have 1 day there, it is pouring with rain. Go on that Gondola; you can’t control the elements so just roll with it make the most of the serenity, and think of it as a different experience from the norm.
Instagram worthy shot!
Most of the world has been shaped by history places like Europe are an extremely old Continent; they have been around for centuries. You finally arrive in Rome; you have been waiting to see the Trevi Fountain since you saw it in the Lizzie Maguire movie. Your guide shows you through the beautiful streets and there it is the Trevi Fountain; the dam thing is covered in scaffolding! WHATTTTTTT IS THIS!!!
This is going to happen a lot throughout Europe; and unfortunately, the monuments do need to be maintained. So in saying that don’t be too disappointed if you get there and it is covered in scaffolding; yes it does affect that perfect Instagram shot but just remember why they are doing it, and be thankful that it will hopefully be there in 30 years time when your kids travel. All you need to do is get creative with your camera angles, and you will still get that amazing shot of say the Trevi Fountain.
“Serenity Prayer- The Power to Accept what I cannot change, change what I can’t accept, wisdom to know the difference”
Just go with the flow…..
It’s not just the customs and cultures you need to be open and patient with; it is the whole travel experience; things can and will go wrong at some point. People who say their trip went off without a hitch are usually lying! Flights get delayed, cancelled or rerouted, transfers leave without you; the hotel looked beautiful in the photos and doesn’t like quite the same in person. All this stuff just happens and the best thing you can do is stay calm, and work on a solution; there is no point getting angry or upset about a situation; this will only affect you and your state of mind in turn affects your trip. “Control your expectations and attitude”
Just go with the flow things happen just find a solution and keep going! That goes with travelling buddies travelling pushes relationships to the next level; you are out of your comfort zone; you have been travelling for hours and are grumpy and tired. This combined puts a lot of pressure on the person standing beside you. I have travelled with lots of different people in my life friends, family, colleagues; and let me tell you it is only the strong ones and like-minded to yourself; that make for an enjoyable trip. Always remember no matter how hard a day is, a beer at the end of the day fixes everything… Cheers!!
So, keep an open mind, stay calm, stay strong, embrace the differences you see along the way. Learn about the cultures and the most important of all, don’t leave with ridiculously high expectations. The more you let your hair down and go with the flow the better travel experience you will have. We are sorry to say your dream trip might not turn out exactly how you planned, but it is a different experience isn’t that why we travel in the first place?
STAY POSITIVE and GO WITH THE FLOW
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