Things I Achieve When I Travel Slow

When I was a tourist, I would often visit new places, stay there for 3-4 days, absorb as much as I could, and then leave for home or the next destination. It was thrilling to live like a tourist for a few years, but then I got tired of it. I had to have something new in my travel routine, and then I decided to explore slow travel.

In the earlier days, people traveled slow and stayed in one destination for several days out of compulsion because quicker modes of travel were not available. Very few people had cars, and most travelers traveled by either public transport or waterways. However, the times have changed and now I see everyone opting for airplanes instead of cars to reach their destinations as soon as possible.

When I used to live in Delhi, I would often think of traveling to different places. And the first thing that came to my mind is that I must book my flight for the required dates so that I can get it cheap. I must save my time and money and travel for a quick weekend getaway.

However, I completely missed the point of travel.

I realized it only after getting tired that traveling to a place does not mean just touching its surface. I must live in a city like the locals do, and I stopped booking hotels for my stay. I started opting for the homestays to save money, and have the warmth of the home. I like to cook my own food, which doesn’t cost much in the first place, and also gives the feeling of being at home.

I have stopped clicking too many photos of the places I visit. I try to talk to the locals about what they do, who they are, and what they like. It is interesting to listen to their opinions of the world. Some of the locals I meet have never stepped out of their city, and they don’t have an open mind. On the contrary, a few people have astonished me with their open-mindedness without even traveling to places. They like to believe in ‘Live and Let Live’ thought process.

I have also met many travelers who are a previous version of me. They stay for a couple of days in my homestays, pretend to indulge with the people around them, and then leave for their next destination. I have seen people booking Self-Drive Cars in Rihsikesh just to do temple hopping in two days along with bungee jumping and rafting. I truly believe that one just cannot travel too much in such a short span of time. You have to say no to many amazing experiences just because you are short of time.

I have traveled quickly to several places in just a few days for several years in a row, but I now realize the futility of it. I love to stay at one place now, absorb it as much as I can, live like I have lived there forever, and then move to the next place.

How I Avoid Having a Severe Jet Lag Post a Long Flight

I firmly believe that I cannot completely avoid jet lag, but I can minimize its effects. I hate long journeys, but I cannot avoid them because of professional and personal commitments. Sometimes, I have to be in the same airplane for more than 48 hours.  Even I get a couple of breaks between the airports, I cannot hate the airports more for how tiring they can be. In the initial days of my air travel, I used to sleep for at least two days in a row after the long haul flight. However, I learned to avoid the symptoms of jet lag with time, and now I exit the airport much fresher in my body and mind than earlier.

Say no to cold foods

Even though I love cold coffee with ice cream, I never consume them over a long flight. Cold foods and drinks are difficult to digest and they make it difficult to fall asleep. That is why, I always ask the air hostesses to provide me with a clear hot soup, either vegetarian or non-vegetarian. I do love cappuccino but I don’t take it while flying. Hot foods are easier to digest and hence, do not disturb my sleeping cycle. I can eat anything hot while flying, but nothing cold. And, I never consume alcohol as well because it dehydrates my body.

I love my pillow

I have a little pillow in my home specially reserved for traveling because it fits my backpack really well. I just take out my regular pillow out of my bag once I am seated well in the aircraft and doze off to take a nap. I have never liked the concept of travel pillows because they seem just too flashy to me. They hardly provide any comfort to me and I have to carry it outside my backpack, which defeats its purpose. My regular pillow is compact in size and soft enough to fit my bag and I love it. When I travel with friends or family, I also use it to sleep in my Car Rentals Rishikesh because the road travel after the flight is often too much to reach our destination.

The essential oils

If there is something that can make me sleep is my favorite lavender oil. The aromatherapy never fails to make me fall asleep whenever I am uncomfortable in my seat. I have to make sure that I sprinkle a few drops on my pillow whenever a fellow passenger is disturbing me too much.

I don’t know why but air travel is never a pleasant experience for me. That is why; I have to make sure that I take proper rest on the flight itself so that I don’t have to waste my precious vacation time at my destination city. I used to get frustrated in the beginning of my travel days because I would get so tired that I didn’t want to do anything. However, I have learned to avoid jet lag the hard way, but I have done it finally.