How to Explore the World Differently

Berlin, the city of all impossible dreams

As an avid traveller since my early childhood, I’ve tried all the possible means of transportation: from biking through the Japan countryside to exploring Germany or Central Europe by train (I still have vivid memories of my adventurous decisions to commute at least twice by night train from Budapest to Prague or Vienna). Exploring Thailand by bus a couple of years ago brought me close to sights that you rarely can see if you go by train or private jet. With the help of our guide we went to temples hidden in the heart of the mountains, heavily guarded

For each and every country, there are special transportation means you can use for a better coverage of those secret gems that you rarely have the chance to come close by if you are just a busy, always in a big hurry tourist.

Since moving to Berlin ten years ago - and counting - my travel experiences diversified, but also my knowledge about the ways in which travel should be also an activity done in full acknowledgment of the environmental priorities. If you plan to see the world, travel by airplane cannot be avoided, but at least you can try as much as you can to combine activities with a lesser impact to the environment, such as renting a bike for a city tour, or planning a walking tour of a city. Using public transportation can not only show you some off the beaten track parts of a country or a specific city, but also allows you to get in touch with the real people living there, which may leave important human memories and maybe friendships too. Very often, for me, visiting a specific place means trying to understand the culture and mentalities and this cannot be achieved naturally by covering exclusively the destinations featured by the tourist guides (nothing against them but they are largely limited if you are looking to also understand and not only to visit a place).

Better planning-more money for your next adventure

In fact, there are so many additional considerations and research that should be done the moment you decide to be more than a tourist. However, a good careful planning will help you not only to add your contribution to saving the planet and inspire others to do the same, but also to have a better financial planning and therefore to save more for your next adventure on the road.

Exploring nature in Spreewald, Germany

For each countries, specific requirements should be taken into considerations. For example, for big countries like Australia, you need to be very realistic when it comes to the travel objectives. A huge country, with enormous distances - which may take days - between cities and a lot of desert in-between, with a relatively high standard of living therefore with expensive prices for services, Australia can be challenging, especially for the first time visitor. And it has to do not only with the budget, which should be quite generous, if you want to cover your basic needs. But it has to do also with the right evaluation of the time needed to cover specific destinations. Especially if you are, like me, a traveller curious to see a bit more than the big cities and dive into the quiet life of the everyday Australian life, you might want to explore the country by car. If you travel as a family, it is a good opportunity to travel at your own pace, and also save money as a travel by airplane could be pretty expensive.

Once you have your plans for your Australian trip ready, you can start searching what are the best and affordable opportunities for an unforgettable road trip across this enormous country. By checking sites like KAYAK, you can easily find the best solution which suits your needs and your budget too. When both parents do have driver license, it is even easier, as you can switch your places at the wheel and keep rolling as much as you can and you want. A stop on the side to admire the sunset or just to embrace the silence of the desert, might be as an unforgettable experience as the standard - Instagrammable - picture in the front of the Sydney Opera House.

Be Grateful

Every time when I travel I start and end my journey by being grateful: for having the chance to travel so much; for having the freedom of movement; for the advantage of the EU passport to freely explore the history and culture of the world; for the chance of living in a country where working hard leads to being rewarded financially according to my skills and efforts; for the chance of knowing so many languages giving me the chance to communicate with people directly; for being healthy; for growing up an unfearful and autonomous adult; for having met so many inspiring people during my travels; for living those complex times when distances don’t matter when you have a clear aim.

Sharing my experiences about travel is part of my daily practice of gratitude, trying to inspire others to do the same while keeping in mind what an amazing thing is to be alive those days.

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How to Always be a Winner when On The Road

One of the questions that bothers me the most is: 'Why do you want to visit this and that place?' followed sometimes, but the remark: 'It is nothing to do/see there'. Ironically, I've heard such a 'wise advice' from some people belonging to the travel blogging gang too. Which in my naive way surprises me, assuming that people who write about travel should be in fact individuals passionate about discovering places and people, even 'off the beaten path', not only Instagrammable corners with a nice sunshine and posh beaches - nothing against it.

Turn left or turn right, it is always your own choice

But keep in mind for an answer the title of a book by Nobel prize American physicist Robert Feynman: 'What do you care what other people think?' And this goes as well to the relationship that a person that has travel at heart develops in time with those who cannot actually grasp why travel is so important. Or why you want to invest your savings to see the world instead of filling your life with objects that most probably in a couple of years you would need to replace or simply throw away. Because, compared to memories and ideas, objects are perishable. They are there to answer a specific practical need, but it's all they can do and nothing more - don't expect a plate to be your evening companion and listen to your stories about dreams and failures. 

Instead, keep in mind that travel brings you an invaluable knowledge about the world that cannot be compared to any material richness. It is a kind of treasure whose value doesn't depend on the fluctuations of the stock exchange and that is precious for itself and for ever. Think about a precious diamond you don't have to insure and carry worried that it can be stolen from you. Your knowledge is the most precious diamond and as always in the case of valuable things, you might need to fight for it and be worth of it.

When it comes to travel, my love for it started at a very early age, during my long mountain hiking summers and continued with my early teenage years of travel in the beautiful Switzerland. I was lucky and priviledged in a way, but I also tried to be grateful and use my knowledge accumulated in my travels to help other people go out of their boxes and embrace the world. I know from my personal experience how difficult could be sometimes to travel with a child, but if you think of the long term benefits you will realize how important is to do it regardless of the hassle. Of course they need to know they have a home, but once they are back from the travels, the sense of home is completely challenged. 

Either you will see your street through completely new eyes - every street and house has its story - or to embark on an adventure around the world, there is always something to see, regardless what other people say.

Beauty is always in the details

Personally, I had the most diverse travel experiences: from posh luxury hotels to hostels and rented houses, from airplanes I wasn't sure will reach the destination in Ukraine to business class trips to Switzerland where the glass of champagne was the less luxurious treat, or even a small private jet ride, because we were late for a meeting in Brussels. I had the experience of seeing the top-notch of Washington D.C., but also the hard life in former Yugoslav countries after the war or spotted the rockets sent in the air by Albanian rebels in Macedonia. 

Luckily, all my jobs involved travel, some of them a lot of it, and I tried to get the best of every single experience. When the places I was visiting weren' maybe so attractive touristically - no museums or a restaurant to review, I tried to create friendships and improve a local language I was learning, or just listen to the human stories. Just as any human being has a story, also a place has something to say and all you need is to open your eyes, ears and heart to listen to it. One of the book that I mention very often that was recommended to me during some art theory classes I took a couple of years ago - because, why not? - is How to Use your Eyes by James Elkins, short lessons in learning how 'to see anything'. The next time when someone asks you why you want to travel, recommend this book; it is truly life challenging. 

Maybe this building looks like a ruin but I bet it has an interesting story to tell

As for me, travel is always a win-win scenario. Even when for various reasons I couldn't go as far as I wanted to, touring the little places around Berlin, like Klein Machnow or Mühlenbecker Land or neighbourhoods usually under the travel radar like Alt Mariendorf or Alt Reinickendorf, taught me a lot about history and culture and offered me some relaxing hours in the middle of the nature too. And I don't see any reason to change this.
Therefore, keep an eye on the blog for more inspiration coming up. I have a lot of posts coming up in the next days featuring some unknown destinations in Berlin, plus some foodie discoveries and confessions, and even more German destinations - many of them 'off the beaten path' - are waiting me to visit. Because for some, travel is just a healthy state-of-mind and using the power of words to share and encourage other people to do the same is a blessing and an obligation.