Good video! It’s an interesting balance, isn’t it?; seeing the sights versus having personal interactions. Slow travel should allow both. Neither of you seem like introverts to me, but I’m sure that I am. As a result, I’ve developed my journaling and sketching while traveling, but I’ve come to realize that the local connections are what make for the best experiences and memories. A quick anecdote: Many years ago, I was friends with an Indian couple here in Minneapolis. When they learned that I was planning a trip to India, the wife arranged for me to stay on her family’s coffee estate in Karnataka. I was there several days, enjoying local and regional visits to the sights and with other relatives (and having some of the best coffee ever!). Would have gone there otherwise? Absolutely not. Do I treasure the memory of that visit? Absolutely and always.

One way we’ve engaged in local communities is through volunteering - whether at an animal shelter or delivering meals on wheels, story time at a children’s hospital or even taking a shift at our favourite cafe - it’s something we always did before we became full time travellers, so it was something we found a way to incorporate into our life on the road 😊

Agree! 💯💯💯 In Dubai, I did the touristy camel tour in the desert. But in the old part of the city at a craft stand area, I happened to meet an artist refugee from Syria. Listening to his story was the closest I felt to the true Middle East. Making connections like that in travel is amazing ❤️

Your insights are spot on! My husband and I have been traveling full time for 13 months, and we can relate to everthing you said. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and honesty.

Great video and great insight into the different ways people travel! Our family loves to immerse ourselves, in local culture when traveling internationally. Here are a few things that have worked for us. 1) start a conversation with the taxi and/or rideshare driver and get some good tips on places to eat. 2) chatting up hotel workers has sometimes produced good results for local experiences. 3) this is our #1 one way. We search for a small local church and attend one of their services either on Sunday or during the week. More times than not people will approach us and introduce themselves, and on the rare occasion that does not happen, we introduce ourselves. This has resulted in us getting excellent advice for things to do, places to eat, and places to avoid. Many times the churchgoer will offer to take us places. We have collected a good list of WhatsApp numbers to keep in touch and many of them are constantly wanting us to come back to their country so they can take us to more places.😊

I'm the type of traveler who likes to see the touristy things and then leave and stay in areas where the locals live and hang out. I find I get a much richer experience traveling like this. I'm also not afraid to try and communicate in their language, however limited my knowledge of it may be. All the locals love it when you try and speak their language and will go the extra mile to make your visit that much nicer.

We’re so intrigued by this conversation. We are still evolving our travel approach. We do like more authentic experiences too not just sites. It seems we start with sites and then build relationships as we do the ordinary things with people we encounter doing laundry, grocery shopping, morning coffee, etc. Taking classes, and meeting up with others (often from other countries) are also very beneficial.

As always, a fantastic video with great insights into slow travel! LOVED all of your aha moments! We, especially my husband, likes to go where the locals live. Wherever we are, he’ll hire a cab for the day and we end up being friends!!! When you show someone from another country that you are truly interested in their way of life, you are complimenting them on their culture. Sometimes it has gotten me a little too much out of my comfort zone - but we have always come out with a friend or two or a family that appreciates that “outsiders” actually visited and showed interest. We love meeting people and I’m never shy about starting conversations. Thank you for sharing.

It's easier to meet locals as a solo traveler. I've been to 42 countries and have been invited to home and family gatherings in many countries. I remember those interactions more than the major sites. I find it's easier to connect in smaller places.

This was such a an interesting and thoughtful conversation. I don't know the answer to your dilemma, but I'm willing to bet that as you start saving yes to opportunities, those connections will happen more easily and more frequently. Keep us posted 🙂

My wife and I are the exact same and we've concluded people are people, we appreciate them when we are able and we appreciate ourselves. Those thoughts will drive us crazy and we need to take it as it goes. We're retired in our 20s so we're trying to learn as quickly as possible

I absolutely love this video and you guys are both so precious. I just left Italy and traveled around to quite a few cities and now I’m heading about 3/4 of Europe. I feel every bit of this video and I totally get what you guys are saying. Best of luck to you and I really hope I get to meet you guys someday.

Wow! A lot to unpack here, but a few thoughts... While P2 is retired, I am still working, which limits how much time we can take for any trip, which is often 14-17 days, but I like to think that we would consider ourselves travelers and explorers, not tourists. The latter is fine, and we definitely schedule time to visit the major attractions in every city. However, we are often self-guided and avoid large organized tours, with a few exceptions, such as city bike tours. This was the perfect way to get our bearings in places like Montreal and Krakow, and the Frauline Maria tour in Salzburg gave P2 her chance to be one with the Von Trapp children. We also book 70-80% of our international travel in Airbnbs for many of the reasons you share. These are often outside the central business district (CBD) and encourage us to meet people and try different restaurants in Krakow, Istanbul, Prague, Salzburg, Venice, Tuscany (Pienza), Bologna, and later this year in Dublin. They also often require us to walk more and/or use public transit, which allows us to see local restaurants and coffee shops. The Airbnb in Istanbul was also a short walk to one of the city's oldest hammams and you have not lived until you get massaged and scrubbed by a large Turkish man and doused with ice-cold water. Would I do that again? In a heartbeat, especially because the price was less than $20 vs. $200+ at a 'spa,' but also because it was so authentic. I might, however, learn a few Turkish phrases next time, like "that is painful". Speaking of languages, simply learning a handful of words like "thank you" can be invaluable. The Bologna food tour was a small group but intimate enough with a fantastic guide and exposed us to incredible cheese, balsamic vinegar, and pasta. We ended up with a private cooking class at an agriturismo in Tuscany with an amazing mother-daughter pair, and we look forward to making paella in Spain in a few weeks. Last I think it is interesting that you mention being introverts. I am a strong 'I' INTJ and P2 is a very strong 'E', but when we travel I am much more open to conversations and meeting new people. At home, however, the perfect size group for me is 4 or less 🙂. Quick add...several years ago, I worked for a company based outside of Antwerp and was fortunate to have multiple 2-3 week trips there, which allowed me to get to know many of the employees. Being invited to their homes for dinner or to one of their children's school plays made me feel like less of a stranger, especially since going back to my hotel room every night often consisted of watching US television shows in Dutch.

Hi. Many years ago I traveled around Europe by car. I visited a few major cities and then realised I preferred the smaller towns, villages and the countryside. To me cites are much the same, yes there are different and unique sites to each city, but they were pretty much, the same. Like groundhog day! I needed the variety and found it easier to meet people in smaller places too. I found that by getting off the beaten track I could still find interesting things to do and see. I love your channel. ❤Zeljka

One of my favorite things to do is walk. Wander. Pop into local restaurants and coffee shops. This is where Google Maps comes in handy. I wander until I'm a bit tired, then use Google Maps to find my way back. Very rarely do I make plans, at least not big ones. I want to experience a place, not just see the hot spots. It's usually more fun than the hot spots anyhow!

You've graduated from being tourists to being actual travelers when you start to prioritize connection over notching up highlights..

Absolutely love your travel epiphany! We have been traveling for 11 months and I just came to the same realization. We are getting tired of the tourist sights and just craving more local experiences/connections which as you said aren't always as easy to find.

This is a great video-I have the same fears in a different country

With the caveat that I’ve done no traveling :), I would feel uncomfortable imposing as you mention. Thinking about it, I’d be wanting to find a way to give back. Maybe the local connection could happen by helping local people with whatever they’re doing? Or maybe looking for local organizations run by local people helping each other and their community that are doing things I can help with? Seems like a nice way to get to know people while helping their efforts for their families and/or their community.

Really enjoyed your video, made me realize that the most memorable part of my travel was in fact the people who shared with me their lives. Thank you.

We love seeing all the iconic sites, but the things we remember the most are our interactions with other people. Next February, we are spending a month in Florence. We are so excited for our extended stay there, and hope that we will make a few friends along the way. There is just no substitute for travel in terms of learning and growth!

What a great video. 👍 We love architecture, history, and food. Now combine these with those personal connections and places come alive and memories become so enriched. Thanks for sharing 👍 Do you find you need more time to adjust to being back in the States? Or is it more like it's nice to be back but you tend to be ready sooner to get back to "normal life" of slow traveling? 🤔

Very interesting point. I have to say Chiang Mai Airbnbs are owned by investors mainly living in China.. in Vietnam Cambodia they Airbns are family owned business and most of the time the family lives on the same property. I am going to Vietnam next month and rent a villa at the beach but guess what the family is living in the same property. I don’t know how that works out for me I never experienced it. But I know I love my privacy and if I want be with locals I can find the way to meet them. I am going back to Chang Mai after VN always rent the same apartment . I love that owner is not on side but if I need something I can reach out to him ..

We are full-time travelers, also. This winter has been our first time through Southeast Asia and the culture shock is real! We have enjoyed interacting with locals, but meetups with other nomads has been an absolute live saver for us. Those long conversations about all the issues we full-time travelers encounter has helped us process our experiences and allowed us to feel connected. It’s such a joy to find ourselves again in the same place as our nomad friends! We hope to cross paths with you someday-we’re always up for a coffee and conversation!

What an insightful video! I love watching the evolution of your perspective! I crave connecting to locals when I travel, it’s been difficult though because we travel only a few times a year and when we go somewhere we are only there for a brief time. I am hoping that will change moving forward and we are making that effort. Travel is not just about seeing places, it is connecting to the culture and the people visited that makes travel so incredibly rewarding. Travel when done correctly is the greatest ambassador of peace.

love all your local connections! ☕ Do you have a video just about with visas? Is it easier for you both to get tourist visa off the plane or prefer getting prior online when able? What is the percentage you feel you are using for cash/ currency vs card with the SEAsian countries? Wondering if you ever feel overwhelmed with the new currency each time you visit somewhere new? Lovely ☺️ that song was to hear! How kind the family was to invite you both into their home!!!🏡

Hello. My simple epiphany today is that you will write and publish a book some day 🙂. In some local cultures ("off the beaten path"), your visit and interesting conversation is probably a form of a gift, but I would consider bringing a physical gift of some sort. This makes it more difficult, because you would need to know the *local* customs. Also, the post-visit thank you customs may differ. Happy discoveries and stay safe.

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Have you guys ever considered couch surfing? Sounds like you would enjoy that local experience