Did how you grow up vacationing affect your current travel style?
A very subjective, anecdotal examination
A background tune for reading this newsletter:
Ah, the great nature vs. nature debate. This time applied to… how we like to travel.
With American Mother’s Day and my mom’s birthday all in one week, combined with seeing the increase in vaccinations in the U.S. (yay!), I’m feeling extra homesick, sentimental and nostalgic.
I live in São Paulo now, but lately I’ve been thinking a lot about my childhood summer vacations, which were mostly filled with camping trips and occasional beach house stays, at the farthest a full day’s car ride away. Busy sports seasons in a family of five meant we didn’t have a lot of extra time to fill.
While my vacations growing up weren’t far from home, they were still filled with a sense of magic, adventure, and for my fellow Love Language fans, Quality Time.
We would often set out for weeklong camping trips, our favorite spot being Salt Fork State Park in southern Ohio, or day trip to swimming holes like Munroe Falls and the ocean-like Mentor Headlands on a pre-polluted Lake Erie.
Our gourmet meals consisted of a cooler packed with pop (yes, “pop,” I grew up in the Midwest after all), homemade sandwiches and bags of pretzels, and if we were lucky, some special candy at the onsite concession stand. It was perfect.
The more occasional long-haul trips were family affairs to Myrtle Beach and the Outer Banks, and I only got on a plane for the first time at age 16 to view colleges in New York City with my aunt and cousin.
Now, I relish the excitement of getting on a long haul flight — what can I say, the free meals and unlimited movie selection get me every time. Landing somewhere I don’t speak the language, trying new-to-me foods, experiencing the unfamiliar — where did all of this come from, since it clearly wasn’t from my adolescent experience?
Our childhoods undoubtedly have an effect on the rest of our lives, but I do wonder where my sense of seeking out the discomfort and novelty comes from. Beyond these family trips, I also spent a substantial amount of time on the couch watching Samantha Brown on the Travel Channel, Rick Steves on PBS, and I must say, I even enjoyed the singular season of Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches.
Even with this affinity for international travel and living abroad, I still often find myself seeking out cabin weekends: spending time around a fire pit, cooking for each other, playing games. Maybe my childhood experience lives deep within me after all.
Did you grow up traveling the way you do now, or did your travel style come later in life?
xo
Brandy
Good Trip Founder
Local’s Corner
Kerol Izwan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Musotrees Magazine, an independent print magazine featuring slow journeys and stories from around the world. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kerol has been publishing some of the most interesting and visually beautiful content for the past five years (we recommend Musotrees’ Instagram!).
The song he has on repeat:
Actually I'm more like a browser when it comes to music. Every month a new list of songs is created. By having new songs and genres, it could be a great mood booster for me. Also, I love to listen foreign music. It could be from Hindi, French, Spanish and Arabic. Well of course English too. But if I have to pick, perhaps something like Jose Gonzalez, Pablo Alboran, Prateek Kuhad and Mehdi Aminian if you are keen to hear. I let you explore the songs yourself.
Where he wants to travel next, post-COVID:
Berlin — it is one of the most inspiring cities. Berlin has taught me a lot for being an entrepreneur, to keep going and never despair. Something about the community creative culture in the city that is very addictive. So yes, Berlin would be my utmost choice for now.
The place he’s traveled to that he’d like to go back to:
New York. It is a great city for everyone. It is almost like a dream city, every, single, time.
His favorite local-to-Kuala Lumpur snack or food he can’t get enough of:
I'm not sure if you have heard, but Malaysia has the best food. As a melting pot diversity of different backgrounds that made Malaysia - from Peninsula to East - we definitely championed our fusion flavors. Of course I'm biased. But try Nasi Lemak and Nasi Kerabu. Asam Laksa too. Apam Balik, our very own Malaysian pancake could be my go-to dessert. Eat them and you will know what I mean.
An ideal day for him in Kuala Lumpur:
Early morning coffee at my favorite cafe, meeting people and exchanging ideas, store-hopping to see the new happenings, and exploring the hidden parts of the city for photography. But my routine is changing from time to time. My ideal day could vary — which includes doing nothing and people watching all day.
Good Trip Tip
Getting prepped for upcoming trips? We recommend packing cubes, a deeply nerdy and deeply helpful travel accessory. Tried, tested and true: Paravel’s.
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