My college buddy said I was way too rigid about planning trips and it hit different last month.

He pointed out that I spend more time checking weather apps and backup routes than actually enjoying the moment, so when I finally wing it on a weekend trip to Austin without a single reservation, I ended up at this random BBQ spot that blew my mind - has anyone else found that ditching the spreadsheet actually works better?

2 comments

2 Comments

bell.taylor5h agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, I've been there. I used to plan every hour of every trip and it stressed me out more than the actual travel. Now I leave at least one full day completely open and it's where the best stuff always happens. The key is to have a loose idea of what you want to do but don't book anything until you're actually there and can ask locals or just wander. I'd say keep a few must-do things on a list but leave the rest to chance, you'll end up with way better stories.

williams.amy3h ago

Right, so I'm supposed to just show up in a new city with zero plan and trust the universe? That sounds like a great way to end up eating gas station sandwiches and sleeping in my rental car. But then you hear about @bell.taylor finding good food by just wandering around and it makes me wonder if my color-coded backup routes are actually the problem. I tried the "loose idea" thing once and my loose idea was to see a famous mural, but I walked into a bookstore instead and bought a used cookbook from a guy who used to be a chef at that BBQ spot you mentioned. So maybe the universe is onto something, even if my planner brain is screaming. Seriously though, I'm still bringing my emergency water bottle and a first-aid kit for the "wandering" part, just in case.

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