The itinerary: the bane of our existence. It seems so necessary to ensure efficiency and coverage, but lacks flexibility, calm, and immersion. Planning every hour of every day of a trip is an “efficiency facade” — it rarely accounts for the invisible time between things: waiting, commuting, and lingering longer than expected. This type of planning ends up as a source of frustration and can even lead to resentment. When traveling this way, travel feels rushed. You don’t find the ambiental depth that creates that unique bond with the place you’re visiting and end up creating a checklist instead of taking it all in. The “going through the motions” that we have experienced in the past has helped us realize that there is a better way to travel: No more rigid planning.
Why we don’t plan
The rigidity of the itinerary made travel feel surface-level – as if we weren’t taking in what each place had to truly offer. When our travel philosophy changed to a more flexible and freer “schedule”, it felt clearer and more intentional with the time we had. The flexibility of not planning conserves energy and rides on our moods. If we feel like sleeping in a bit longer, we do so, without feeling guilty about using that time for rest, relaxation, or recuperation. If I’m just not “feeling” fighting a crowd, we shift gears and head to a more secluded area or to a calmer activity. We prefer to have buckets of activities that we could get to, not ones we have to get to. This helps our days to become more about discovery and enjoyment instead of a task list.
What we actually do instead
While traveling, we find that having calm mornings is the best way to be energized for the rest of the day. We wake up and do our normal morning routine, then may choose to go for a jog or a walk or just choose a neighborhood to explore. We anchor ourselves on things that bring us joy – a heavy focus on food and exploring. We may Google local food spots or parks in the neighborhood we plan on visiting to see what’s available. However, what we find on Google isn’t necessarily the destination — it’s just a tether to guide us through an area.
Our day often starts by walking wherever we decide to explore, only to discover new places to try, or places to put into the buckets of possible activities. As we wander, we get to observe the locals living their day-to-day lives, and get to enjoy the nuances of the systems that exist to create complex cultural norms. Being on foot also allows us to appreciate the city’s architecture, flora, and fauna – and our senses are enveloped by everything that makes the place unique: the smell of a corner bakery, the sound of birds and city, the feel of the afternoon breeze. At the end of the day, the choice to take public transportation as a quicker way home is intentional – to use it as an observational opportunity to see how the locals commute. This embodiment of the destination helps us appreciate and crave more of where we are.
What this gives us
Our first full day of travel always ends serendipitously. Discovering or rediscovering a neighborhood or city brings joy in the novelty of experiencing a place for the first time, or nostalgia in remembering how we felt times before. The lack of planning gives us reasons to go back, whether it’s during the same trip or hopes for a future trip – there is no fo’gf’mo (feeling of guilt for missing out) here. The absence of the invisible pressure of guilt was a relief that brought peace and calm and allowed us to be truly present and intentional with our time. Getting to know a place this way allows us to see how life happens and to be a part of it; to practice the patterns that the locals live – a kind of immersion that feels deeper than tourism.
Closing thought
Exploring without a plan means we still miss things. And that’s kind of the point. Letting go of the need to see everything — and allowing ourselves to explore with depth instead of breadth — gives us the freedom to travel quietly, explore deeply, and appreciate more.
This piece expands on ideas we first explored in video — slow travel, observation, and letting go of the checklist.