Great piece, Scott. One of the best travel articles I've read in a while. My husband and I split up quite a bit when we travel. He has an energy I can't match - he "needs" to hike mountains, climb cathedral bell towers, and storm castles. I "need" to sit at a cafe with a beverage and watch the world go by with my camera in hand. Both styles are the right way to travel. The key is in the compromise! Cheers!!
Thank you, Kristen! I'm glad to hear you and your husband also enjoy doing your own thing while traveling. Cheers to many more adventures for you both.
Great read. The most seasoned travelers I’ve met — the ones I try to embody — can move slowly through a market or through a street scene while leaning in and connecting with strangers without words. One interaction after another, like an interpretive dance. Body language is universal: a smile here, a laugh there. Just human.
I was pleased to stumble upon your newsletter just now. So good to see more and more people realising how they can travel differently. I’m guessing you are a good vertical traveller too 😊
Nicely summarised. I thought I’m strange liking long solo walks … And yes, if I like the place a lot and plan to come back I don’t write/post about it in my travel blogs. Thank you.
Nicely written. Your article hits a lot of the points I often think about. I'm also an ambivert. If it wasn't for travel, I would be a lot less social. But the process of getting to new places and learning about them forces my hand. I never plan it that way, it just happens. As for meeting other travelers, I can pick and choose who I want to have a conversation with. There is a great deal of freedom with that.
Thanks, Brad! Same here—I’d definitely be less social without travel. I love how it gives us the freedom to choose who we connect with, and it never really feels forced… unless you find yourself stuck on a group trip.
Came back to say that I really enjoy your writing. I’m also an ambivert and while the people I meet travelling often make for the best part of the story, I’ve done my fair share of solo travel which despite what social media sells means lots of solitude, so I get it. But I found the part about American travel standard = surrounded by people very interesting. I’m Czech and I find that the standard here is the opposite, many travellers seeking out remote places on purpose to not be bothered by other people 😅 having a beach/view/campsite all for yourself is the ultimate holiday brag here
Thank you so much, that means a lot. I love hearing the Czech perspective on this. A beach all to yourself as the ultimate brag feels like the perfect counterpoint to the American version.
I like your statement regarding immersion doesn't have to equal interaction. I'm a total introvert and can spend hours while traveling watching the rhythms and flow of people (probably the dancer/teacher in me) but my husband is such an extrovert he'll be the one talk to a local. It is interesting how the 'industry' has promoted one of these styles as 'the way.'
Thanks, Richard. It’s a shame some travel marketing seems to elevate one style over the other when in reality, they can complement each other so well. Sounds like you and your husband have found a great balance too!
My solo morning walks are some of my favorite travel times. No destination. Just pick a direction and go. And sometimes I meet people, and sometimes I don't. And either is perfectly acceptable.
Yes! That’s why walking is the best mode of exploration. You can shift between interaction and solitude depending on what the moment calls for or your preference.
Ha ha - love the JOMO idea! I'm an ambivert too (most of us are, as you say) - often I get energy from interacting with people I meet on trips, but sometimes I prefer to sit and sketch. And meeting people doesn't mean joining a tour or party crowd for me - it's usually just talking to someone at a bus stop or in the market or at the next table.
JOMO, FOMO, YOLO... where will we go next? I agree completely, though those bus stop and market conversations are often some of the most rewarding memories, even if they are small and no pressure, and they stick with you longer than most museum exhibits.
Ah, Hofstede’s dimensions! My colleagues and I used to analyze that model to death over lunch.
I really like this post and agree with your thesis. May I offer one somewhat counter point, though? I think many travel writers here on Substack are big time practitioners of slow travel, to a degree that’s it rare to find a post about the people one meets while on the road (and I’m not talking about that rowdy bunch from the hostel who invited you out to binge drink, although that can be fun too if told right). I love solo traveling as much as anyone, but ironically, that’s not what I like to read from travel writing. What I enjoy most are stories about people, how you met them, a misadventure together, a thought-provoking conversation. Portraits like that combined with thoughtful summaries from observation that get the aesthetic just right are the chef’s kiss for me.
That’s a great point, and I’m always happy for a counterpoint. You’re right, a lot of travel writing here on Substack already leans slow and reflective, so some people in that space might not find this especially relevant or revelatory. My intent was aimed more at the wider group of readers who tend to see travel in two extremes: the slow travel that seems to require endless time and courage and the extroverted style that is more widely promoted.
I’m with you on loving chance encounters. Some of my favorite stories come from them. The one thing I wrestle with when deciding whether to include people I’ve met in a story is this: am I sharing it to prove my sociability, or because it actually reveals something about the place and the human experience? If it’s not much of the latter, I often leave it out even if they made an impression on me. I’m curious how others navigate it.
Great piece, Scott. One of the best travel articles I've read in a while. My husband and I split up quite a bit when we travel. He has an energy I can't match - he "needs" to hike mountains, climb cathedral bell towers, and storm castles. I "need" to sit at a cafe with a beverage and watch the world go by with my camera in hand. Both styles are the right way to travel. The key is in the compromise! Cheers!!
Thank you, Kristen! I'm glad to hear you and your husband also enjoy doing your own thing while traveling. Cheers to many more adventures for you both.
Great read. The most seasoned travelers I’ve met — the ones I try to embody — can move slowly through a market or through a street scene while leaning in and connecting with strangers without words. One interaction after another, like an interpretive dance. Body language is universal: a smile here, a laugh there. Just human.
Thank you, Elias.
I was pleased to stumble upon your newsletter just now. So good to see more and more people realising how they can travel differently. I’m guessing you are a good vertical traveller too 😊
Thanks for being here and this comment, Ilona!
Soooo spot on. 🎯
Nicely summarised. I thought I’m strange liking long solo walks … And yes, if I like the place a lot and plan to come back I don’t write/post about it in my travel blogs. Thank you.
Thanks, Igor. I’m happy my article made you feel that way, and I agree, keeping special places to yourself makes traveling even more personal.
I especially liked the peaceful walk in the mountains photo.
Nicely written. Your article hits a lot of the points I often think about. I'm also an ambivert. If it wasn't for travel, I would be a lot less social. But the process of getting to new places and learning about them forces my hand. I never plan it that way, it just happens. As for meeting other travelers, I can pick and choose who I want to have a conversation with. There is a great deal of freedom with that.
Thanks, Brad! Same here—I’d definitely be less social without travel. I love how it gives us the freedom to choose who we connect with, and it never really feels forced… unless you find yourself stuck on a group trip.
Came back to say that I really enjoy your writing. I’m also an ambivert and while the people I meet travelling often make for the best part of the story, I’ve done my fair share of solo travel which despite what social media sells means lots of solitude, so I get it. But I found the part about American travel standard = surrounded by people very interesting. I’m Czech and I find that the standard here is the opposite, many travellers seeking out remote places on purpose to not be bothered by other people 😅 having a beach/view/campsite all for yourself is the ultimate holiday brag here
Thank you so much, that means a lot. I love hearing the Czech perspective on this. A beach all to yourself as the ultimate brag feels like the perfect counterpoint to the American version.
I like your statement regarding immersion doesn't have to equal interaction. I'm a total introvert and can spend hours while traveling watching the rhythms and flow of people (probably the dancer/teacher in me) but my husband is such an extrovert he'll be the one talk to a local. It is interesting how the 'industry' has promoted one of these styles as 'the way.'
Thanks, Richard. It’s a shame some travel marketing seems to elevate one style over the other when in reality, they can complement each other so well. Sounds like you and your husband have found a great balance too!
My solo morning walks are some of my favorite travel times. No destination. Just pick a direction and go. And sometimes I meet people, and sometimes I don't. And either is perfectly acceptable.
Yes! That’s why walking is the best mode of exploration. You can shift between interaction and solitude depending on what the moment calls for or your preference.
Ha ha - love the JOMO idea! I'm an ambivert too (most of us are, as you say) - often I get energy from interacting with people I meet on trips, but sometimes I prefer to sit and sketch. And meeting people doesn't mean joining a tour or party crowd for me - it's usually just talking to someone at a bus stop or in the market or at the next table.
JOMO, FOMO, YOLO... where will we go next? I agree completely, though those bus stop and market conversations are often some of the most rewarding memories, even if they are small and no pressure, and they stick with you longer than most museum exhibits.
Ah, Hofstede’s dimensions! My colleagues and I used to analyze that model to death over lunch.
I really like this post and agree with your thesis. May I offer one somewhat counter point, though? I think many travel writers here on Substack are big time practitioners of slow travel, to a degree that’s it rare to find a post about the people one meets while on the road (and I’m not talking about that rowdy bunch from the hostel who invited you out to binge drink, although that can be fun too if told right). I love solo traveling as much as anyone, but ironically, that’s not what I like to read from travel writing. What I enjoy most are stories about people, how you met them, a misadventure together, a thought-provoking conversation. Portraits like that combined with thoughtful summaries from observation that get the aesthetic just right are the chef’s kiss for me.
That’s a great point, and I’m always happy for a counterpoint. You’re right, a lot of travel writing here on Substack already leans slow and reflective, so some people in that space might not find this especially relevant or revelatory. My intent was aimed more at the wider group of readers who tend to see travel in two extremes: the slow travel that seems to require endless time and courage and the extroverted style that is more widely promoted.
I’m with you on loving chance encounters. Some of my favorite stories come from them. The one thing I wrestle with when deciding whether to include people I’ve met in a story is this: am I sharing it to prove my sociability, or because it actually reveals something about the place and the human experience? If it’s not much of the latter, I often leave it out even if they made an impression on me. I’m curious how others navigate it.