Want a Better Travel Experience? Have You Tried Getting Lost on Purpose?

Leave the Guidebooks behind and Try Getting Lost!

There’s a fine art to getting lost… when it’s on purpose.

Not until we are lost, do we begin to understand ourselves.”

–Henry David Thoreau

Why would you want to go on a trip and see exactly the same things everyone else sees? You check all the boxes and see what you’re supposed to see—according to all the right guidebooks and websites, that is. When we travel, why not submerse ourselves in every new place and culture?

I admitted in a recent conversation that I had visited Paris and missed The Moulin Rouge! “How could I?” they asked. Well, it’s easy… I have never cared to experience The Moulin Rouge. Paris must-do or not.

I wandered some backstreets with a couple of friends instead. We came across a Bob Dylan impersonator who did Bob better than Bob. This guy could even sing. We stayed and listened to him for the longest time.

That’s a travel memory I will never forget.

So, what is it about getting lost that scares us? The word itself gets such a bad rap. All anyone looks at is the negative side. The dictionary doesn’t even play fair.

Dictionary.com defines it as…

adjective

1. no longer possessed or retained:lost friends.
2. no longer to be found: lost articles.
3. having gone astray or missed the way; bewildered as to place, direction, etc.: lost children.
4. not used to good purpose, as opportunities, time, or labor; wasted:a lost advantage.
5. being something that someone has failed to win:a lost prize.

What a buzzkill of a definition! What about freedom to roam, unconstrained, following your heart’s desire with great anticipation?

You could say there are two kinds of people in world: people who are lost and people who know they are lost.”

— Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism

Thanks, Greg… we’re talking about the latter here.

We know it. We want it. And we embrace it.

In every city there are wonderful places to discover that you won’t find on any list and won’t be on any city tours. How do you find them? There’s only one way… trust the universe and allow yourself to get lost.

I got lost but look what I found.”

— Irving Berlin

To be clear, I’m not talking about reckless endangerment here. I’m talking about getting off the beaten path. Allowing yourself to follow your nose and explore. Sure, a little street sense may help. But you’re going to do some quick and dirty research, then let yourself go.

Yes, you can even plan to get lost. Why not? Leave the guidebooks in the room, fold up a map and keep it in your pocket, and make sure you have the full name and address of the hotel in the local language. Then, get your bearings and head-out.

Let it scare you enough to feel captured by the moment.

Here’s a quick “how to” to get you started…

1. Talk to people. Ask questions. Engage with the locals. “What’s the best experience that nobody who visits knows about? What’s the best treasure everyone overlooks?”

2. Neighborhoods are golden! Some of the most interesting gems are found in the neighborhoods of the cites you’ll visit. Don’t miss them. Seek them out.

3. Give yourself permission to wander. Wandering is a traveler superpower. Keep an open heart and mind… you’ll never regret where they take you.

4. The GPS app on your phone is a lifeline. It can get you back to your hotel or at least back on track. Try not to depend on them, though… they can spoil the adventure. Remember, it’s not the getting there… it’s the journey—the in between. The GPS is just in case.

5. Talk to people… fellow travelers, waiters, innkeepers, and other locals. When you find where the locals go, you will have found your next best experience.

6. Remember, getting lost isn’t the easiest travel strategy to adopt. You’re likely to feel uncomfortable at first, especially until you fine-tune your inner radar. Most important of all… trust your instincts. If it doesn’t look, sound or feel right… don’t.

I promise you, once you let go of the checklists in the guidebooks and forget about TripAdvisor’s ratings, you’ll never look back. Yes of course, there are the true must-see highlights of any destination. Get those knocked-out with a good city tour on the first day.

After that… you’re free to roam!

No one ever found a road less traveled in a good Yelp review.

Be untucked.

Would you like to know when I post?

I’ve fixed the subscribe links. No SPAM ever. Unsubscribe anytime.

Just click the box below or to the side. Fill out the super-short form. Confirm. And you’re golden.

Copyright © 2019 Jeff Meister

More on getting lost…

NationalGeographic.com knows about the right way to get lost. Heather Greenwood Davis wrote a fun piece called “How to Get Lost on Purpose—Five tips to help you on your way” Check it out here.