As odd as it sounds, research adds value to your vacation. While it may feel like doing “work” for vacation, and that may be the last thing you want to do, it’s kind of like the cliché saying that you get out what you put into something.
Are you a bunny?
The way I see it, there are two extremes in approaching vacations. The first is the go-go-go, learn-learn-learn energizer bunny vacationer. The second vacationer is chill, relaxed, and sleeps in. Most vacations comprise a mix of both, albeit at varying percentages. I’m around 90/10 in favor of the go method. My husband is solidly in the other camp. Somehow we still enjoy our vacations together. This post is more for the bunny crowd, but it can still be helpful for the other bunch.
Can you super-humanly internalize information?
Nope? Okay, great, just like everyone else then. Perfect. Keep reading. You can read my approach to research here, so I won’t go into specific methods. My point here is that the act of research and the knowledge you glean can be so, so helpful on your vacation. If you are setting out to a new destination to learn something – history, culture, cuisine, linguistics, or whatever else gets you there – you’re likely spending a good deal of time and money doing so. Don’t you want to maximize that effort?
Even if you hire the best of the best tour guides, there’s no way you’ll be able to learn everything in a vacationer’s timeframe. It’s just not possible. Plus it takes time to absorb information; and a data download of tour guide content in one day or afternoon is almost impossible to really digest. Doing research provides an excellent framework that the tour guide’s information fills in. You are then able to better understand what you’re hearing and can ask more thoughtful questions as well. Your entire vacation will be more enriched with knowledge.
I can’t tell you how helpful my research was for our recent trip to Italy. It was invaluable to my understanding and appreciating the various sites and places we visited. And my husband benefitted as well. I was often citing facts about places before we visited; afterwards I was likewise able to add extra or clarifying information for my husband that I’d learned in my research. This helped both him and myself to really internalize the information, as did my journaling.
Not a fan?
If reading guidebooks isn’t your thing, there are other ways to research. Plenty of places are the setting for various novels or memoirs, whether of a funny or serious nature. This particular one was a hoot to read at the beginning of our expat experience in China. You can also usually find one or more movies set in your intended travel destination. While these methods are more interpretational, they can still provide a helpful frame of reference for you.
Certainly you can have a wonderful vacation without this research, especially at beach-y places. I’ve had my share of such vacations. But I always appreciate the time and effort I put into my research. I learn so much and am able to treasure those memories all the more for doing so. Either way, I hope you enjoy whatever vacation and type of vacation you set out to have.
