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Three Travel Regrets

20/2/2013

 

Do you have any travel regrets? Any decisions you'd like to do-over?

Fortress Lousibourg Nova Scotia
Pausing for reflection while on the road.
It’s not very often I think of travel in terms of regret – in fact, it’s one of the things that I associate the least with regret! While there’s always things I try to learn from on each trip, even when things go badly I still think of the trip with fondness. But there are a few lingering, lasting regrets from past trips that, if I could change with the flip a switch, I would be a happier girl!
Snapshots of Vanessa in Malawi Picture
1.)  Leaving Africa too quickly and not going on to Spain. My first week in Africa was a roller coaster of emotion – it was so intense and such an overwhelming learning curve. I do admit there were days in my first week when I would passionately dream of landing at Heathrow, checking into a Hilton, and ordering chocolate ice cream from room service!

The experience, while it had some rocky moments, continued to improve for me but there were many times when I really needed to focus on the trip home to get through the day. As a result, I didn't extend my trip (an option as my internship provided me a trip home at the date of my choosing). My confidence was shaken and I didn't feel like my usual, shy yet spunky independent travelling self. I think part of the reason was that I was staying with a few other interns and it was easy, on a bad day, to use them as a crutch and avoid confronting a sticky problem or a bad situation. I didn't solve as many problems on my own and never really got my independent African travelling “legs”.

Subsequently, I also turned down an opportunity to spend some time volunteering in Spain at the end of my African trip. I was accepted to a 2 week English conversation group which would see me leading a group of Spaniards looking to improve their language skills. Ultimately, with my confidence a bit shaky, I convinced myself to head back home to do practical things: find a job, finish academics, save a bit of money. The time in Spain would have eaten up all of my savings from my African internship and I wasn't feeling bold enough to put it all on the line. Now I kinda wish I had. 

I feel like I traded in some incredible travel experiences for the security of $1000  in savings.

Vanessa poses in Paris Picture
2.)  Ignoring my instincts while spending time in Paris with friends. Sounds amazing, right? I love Paris, and I like to think of it as "my" city. After an absence of a few years, I returned with two very good friends to participate in the Paris marathon. It sounds amazing, doesn't it? 

But several aspects of the trip leave me with regrets. I am normally an obsessive travel planner and this time I went without real lists and goals, determined to be a fun, spontaneous gal with the gang. But who are we kidding? That’s so not me!

It’s hard to go to the city you love with people you've never traveled with before and who are visiting for the first time. We were just on different levels for what we wanted to see. One girl spent considerable time at Notre Dame (which I had seen before many times) and the surrounding tourist-oriented souvenir shops. She didn't seemed interested in visiting my beloved Shakespeare and Co and my ideas were shot down.

It was hard to decide where to eat, as no one wanted to push too hard for a preference. I brought back a bag of treats from my favourite bakery, which was ignored. (Did I mention we were there to run a marathon? Who could resist the carbs?) 

Mme "Notre Dame" brushed off my idea of buying a phone card, assuring me that it would be fine to call long distance using my credit card from the hotel. I had serious reservations about this and it was for good reason. I was charged hundreds and hundreds of dollars on my credit card for less than 30 minutes of total talking time. I had read about these kinds of situations, and against my much better judgement, I was talked out of a 10 minute trip to a corner store for a phone card. (Incidentally, she managed to successfully dispute her own credit card charges. I was turned down flat. Not sure what she said to Visa that I didn't....)

While I'm still close with one of my travel companion, the other friendship has drifted away for a number of reasons.  The experience made me very wary about travelling with others, about undertaking big trips with people you've never traveled with before, and, overall, ignoring my instincts.

Raffia ornament stand Picture
3.)  Not buying something I loved. In Zambia, not far from the Malawi border, is a place called Tribal Textiles. They are an amazing artists’ cooperative and their gorgeous hand painted textiles are just incredible – so much so that I've listed them as one of my top travel splurges.

In front of Tribal Textiles were a few artists who had set up shop independently. One was selling homemade Christmas ornaments made with bits of wire, wood, metal, and bead. These humble materials made delightful ornaments and I stocked up. I still have my giraffe, star, zebra, and spiral ornaments today.

What I really lusted after, however, was a stylized "tree" that was used to display these ornaments. I looked like it was a wooden or metal form that was covered with a kind of papyrus or raffia, with spoke-y arms sticking out to be the branches of the tree. I just loved it. I had no idea how to get it back to Canada. It was large and awkward. And I was out of money. I paid for my Tribal Textile items with credit card, but it was cash only for the artists out front, of course. It took all my available cash just to buy the ornaments! I had been looking forward to Tribal Textile, and I knew they took credit cards, but no one had told me about the other artists and I was caught a bit unaware.

Even now I have no idea how I would have bought this tree or brought it home. The best I can imagine is that I should have been brave and bold and asked the Tribal Textiles' staff if they could somehow ring the purchase price on my credit card and then given the money to the artisans on my behalf. Probably not likely. And I still have no idea how I would get the tree home. But I loved it, so much that I took a picture.

​The only lesson I can take from all of this is always have a small stash of emergency cash on you. Sometimes the emergency will be a taxi ride. Sometimes it will be a phone call. And sometimes it will be a faux, funky Christmas tree.


If you enjoyed this article, you'll also like:

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Wine, Art, and Memories of a Travel Splurge...Nova Scotia Style!
Pola link
20/2/2013 07:56:24 pm

Vanessa - thank you for accepting the tag and writing this beautiful post! #2 must have been a nightmare!! Take it from this Paris-obsessed gal. Next time you want to go there, take me! ;)

Too bad about the souvenirs, but sometimes it's just impossible to bring some things home... And as for #1, it seems like a lesson learned the hard way. But those make us stronger and more resilient!

Also, thank you for the awesome shout-out!

Vanessa
21/2/2013 11:03:28 am

Thank you so much Pola - for both your kind feedback and for suggesting it in the first place! It hasn't been since I started planning my upcoming trip to Paris (just a little one - 2 days in Nov) that I realized how much sadness I had about this past trip. So I'm looking forward to a few "re-dos" and making some new, positive memories.

Christie link
21/2/2013 12:34:26 am

Post will be up on Friday afternoon! Happy to share in travel blogging solidarity.

Vanessa
21/2/2013 11:04:09 am

Awesome! I can't wait to read it!

Anita Mac link
21/2/2013 01:13:59 am

Funny - your 1st regret sounds like mine....I ended up skipping out on Morocco and have been kicking myself ever since! I know I will still get there....but with so many places to go, I am having a hard time fitting it in! Will have to just do it!
Too bad for your trip to Paris. I am with Pola - happy to join in on any Paris experiences - may skip the marathon but will gladly cheer from the road!

Vanessa
21/2/2013 11:06:12 am

Thanks Anita! I'm learning more and more that I shouldn't be hesitant about doing more girl trips - I should just learn lessons and move forward. Sometimes your best friends aren't great travel partners. And sometimes great travel partners aren't your closest friends. And if you're lucky - they're both!!

Jo link
22/2/2013 08:53:39 am

Hi Vanessa, thanks for the nomination. It's always sad when you spend your hard earned money and efforts on a trip and it turns out to be not what you wanted. When it's Paris and it's not the experience you wanted it somehow seems so much worse! Make sure your hubby tows the line so you can make amends in Nov :)

Vanessa
27/2/2013 09:47:56 am

Oh, I'm gonna make him tow the line!! I can't wait for a bit of a Paris re-do!

Jessica link
27/2/2013 05:50:12 am

I really feel for you. I have a regret similar to #1... Had my heart set on studying abroad in Australia but never went through with it :(

I recently wrote a post of my 3 travel regrets, check it out!

http://www.apassionandapassport.com/2013/02/my-top-3-travel-regrets.html

Vanessa
27/2/2013 09:49:06 am

Great post -and I'm sorry about the Australia regret :-(. I tweeted your article out - I think a lot of people will like it (and I loved the hot air balloon pic!)

Jessica link
26/5/2013 03:59:43 am

I hate regrets! At least some of them can be turned into good lessons.

Vanessa
27/5/2013 05:02:08 am

Exactly! I like the idea of looking at life as if there are lessons to be learned.

Swim
31/5/2013 01:22:18 am

It's so strange having regrets when traveling but I totally get where you are coming from. It's a neat idea asking others to do the sam

Vanessa
26/3/2014 03:23:10 am

Agreed!


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