One Lie I Believed About Travel Until I Did It Myself

I used to believe that in order to say I'd truly experienced a city, I had to see all the “big” stuff. If I didn’t stand under the Eiffel Tower, squint up at the Empire State Building, or window-shop my way down Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich, it didn’t count… right?

Spoiler: The most memorable parts of my travels came when I stopped chasing the highlights and started noticing the side streets.

The Pressure to “Do It All”

I used to plan trips like they were tactical missions—squeeze in every iconic site, skim every museum exhibit, nod solemnly at plaques I didn't read. Secretly, I was counting down to my next sit-down coffee or snack break.

And the pressure? It wasn’t even mine. Travel blogs, reels, posts labeled “10 Things You Can’t Miss”—it all fed this false urgency that if I didn’t “do it all,” I’d done it wrong. So I raced. And missed more than I realized.

But Then I Missed the Little Stuff

One afternoon in Milan, I slipped away from the crowds circling the Duomo and let instinct lead the way. No guidebook. No agenda. Just a quiet craving for something warm and real.

A few blocks later, I stumbled into a tiny, family-run trattoria tucked beside a narrow canal—one of those places that doesn’t try to impress, and somehow impresses you anyway. The kind of spot where the menu is handwritten and the waiter greets locals by name.

I ordered the purple gnocchi on a whim—soft, earthy, unexpectedly perfect—and paired it with a crisp white wine that tasted like it belonged exactly where I was. As I ate, I watched small wooden boats drift lazily down the canal that cut through the center of the street, sunlight catching in the ripples, voices echoing off stone walls.

No major landmarks. No photo ops. Just a table, a plate, and a moment I didn’t know I needed. And honestly? That little detour tasted better than any itinerary ever could.

What I Learned When I Slowed Down

Travel isn’t about proof. It’s not about collecting stamps or reciting facts from your guidebook like a human audio tour. It’s about how a place feels—how it smells in the morning, how the light hits the cobblestones at golden hour, how a stranger’s kindness can stick with you longer than any museum exhibit.

When I stopped trying to “conquer” a destination and just let it unfold, travel became less about validation and more about presence.

You Don’t Need the Photo to Have Been There

I didn’t take a photo of that quiet piazza. There’s no geotag or witty caption. But it’s mine—and that’s enough. So, if you ever find yourself in a new city, feeling stressed about everything you should see, give yourself permission to take a detour. Skip the monument. Choose the messy market, the side street café, the unplanned nap. You might not be able to name what you saw later, but you’ll remember how it made you feel.

And honestly? That’s the kind of travel that sticks.