To Live Like a Local: My Summer of Slow Travel
While I loved the ability to be spontaneous in my travel planning during my year off, all good things must come to an end. It’s mid-November, I’m back in the classroom, and all spontaneity has flown out the window. Because of my limited-to-holidays travel schedule, planning in advance is crucial; I’m not made of money, and the best budget options fill up quickly during high-demand times. I have a trip booked for Thanksgiving break, another trip already booked for Easter break, and I’ve officially determined that–gasp–I’m staying at home for Christmas Break (because flight prices are insane).
And summer vacation is only 207 days away.
I’d like to change up my travel style and attempt to do my own version of slow travel during summer 2013. I no longer take time for granted, having both had the luxury of near-limitless time and the confines of completely-limited time. And I realize that, as a teacher, it really is great that I can spend six or eight weeks every summer going somewhere. But that doesn’t mean that I have to be going the entire time. And thus, the idea for the anti-trip was born.
You see, lots of people talk about living like a local when traveling. And while yes, this is an appealing–and intelligent–travel strategy, I feel like it is a concept that exists more in theory than in practice. For example, let’s take a look at the godfather of live-like-a-local travel: Rick Steves.
I need only to turn my head slightly to my left and I can count–counting–five different Rick Steves books on one of my bookshelves. I can reach out my right hand and grab yet another one–his first and most popular book, Europe Through the Back Door. In the preface of this book, he explains his ‘back-door’ approach to travel thus:
Traveling this way, we become temporary Europeans, members of the family–approaching Europe on its level, accepting and enjoying its unique ways of life. We’ll demand nothing, except that no fuss be made over us. –Rick Steves, Europe Through the Back Door.
Ok. That all sounds great. I’d love to be come a temporary European. Or even a temporary Texan, Washingtonian, or Quebecois. But how does one do that? Let’s take a look at a sample Rick Steves itinerary. Pictured right is one of the Rick Steves ‘Europe in Three Weeks’ itineraries. I included it as a photo because the text description was way, way too long. The first week looks like this, typed out:
Day 1: Arrive at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, and stay in the nearby town of Haarlem (2 nights).
Day 2: Using Haarlem as a home base, day-trip to Amsterdam.
Day 3: Cross the German border to the Rhine River Valley; Explore the quaint riverside town of Bacharach (2 nights).
Day 4: Cruise the best stretch of the Rhine (between Bacharach and St. Goar, then tour St. Goar’s Rheinfels Castle. Return to Bacharach by train.
Day 5: Take the train to Rothenburg and sightsee (1 night).
Day 6: After a morning in Rothenburg, take the Romantic Road bus to Munich (1 night).
Day 7: Spend the day in Munich, or consider day trips: a bus tour to “Mad” King Ludwig’s fairy-tale castles, or a train from Munich to Salzburg (1.5 hours each way). Take a night train to Venice.
While I’m not bashing this itinerary in any way (heck, I love Rick Steves;I’ll even include another link to his website right HERE) I don’t really see how anyone can become a temporary local in such a time frame. One afternoon, one night, and one morning in Munich? With a possible tour to Salzburg? I guarantee that’s not how the locals live.
I also guarantee that’s not Rick Steves’ ideal trip, either. In fact, I’m willing to bet that, were I able to ask him, Mr. Steves would agree that a trip like that attempts to squeeze far too much into far too little time. But it’s a trip created for the average American–and the average American has far too little vacation time during which they can travel.
So this year, while I still have the luxury of an eight-week summer break, I’m going to spend all eight weeks of that break elsewhere. And in one general location. However, as of now, that ‘one location’ is literally all over the map; in the past week, I’ve been researching everywhere from Barcelona to Boulder (seriously–I’m not just trying to be alliterative!)
Here are the things I’m looking for–can anyone help me nail down a destination? Because, again, summer break is only 207 days away!
The Suitcase Scholar’s Summer of Slow Travel: My Destination Requirements
-Somewhere near nature. I’d like to spend as much time as possible outdoors this coming summer. Winter in PA is cold, dark, and long; I don’t need to be warm all summer, but I do need to be outside somewhere. ‘Nature’ can include anything from mountains to desert to beach. But I’d like there to be a lot of it to explore. And I lean more towards ‘mountains’ than towards ‘beaches’.
-Somewhere in or near a unique city or town. While hiking or checking out beaches is all well and good, if I’m going to live somewhere for an extended period of time, I need variety. And I need good food. Markets, cafes, and restaurants are key (see also: Bar Harbor, Portland, Maine).
-Somewhere with a slightly different culture. When I say ‘culture’, I mean that in the broadest sense possible. I’ve spent pretty much my whole life living in this same area–a not-quite-rural, not-exactly-suburban area directly outside a small, depressed city located between Philadelphia and New York City. I’d like to experience life in a slightly different place and meet slightly different people. This should be the easiest requirement to fulfill, as I’ve traveled as not-far as central Delaware and southern Vermont and experienced a noticeably different lifestyle. And don’t even get me started on West Virginia.
-Somewhere that is either walkable or featuring quality public transporation (see also: San Francisco, Paris).
-Somewhere that offers a good home-base for weekend-trip explorations. You didn’t think I was just going to plop myself down and not move from one location for two whole months, did you? Living like a local involves short breaks outside of town; I didn’t feel like I truly lived in my Paris apartment until I left to spend a night in Amsterdam (see also: London).
-Somewhere not-insanely-expensive. Because I’m looking to stay for such a long period of time, I’m obviously looking for a house or apartment rental–not a hotel room. Thus, I’d like to pay house or apartment rental rates–not nightly rates. Ideally, I’d be paying around $1,500 per month for a rental; I’m fine with small spaces, but I’d like at least a mini fridge and a two-burner stove.
Bonus Features
Please note: the following are obviously in direct opposition to each other. Thus, they live here in bonus-land. If one of the two is met, I’m happy. I don’t really see how I could fulfill both.
-Somewhere that English is not the primary language. I’d love to learn a new language–ideally Spanish, simply because I could use it in so many of the places I’d like to visit. Because I’m planning so far in advance, I’d obviously make a concerted effort to learn a bit of that language before leaving. Again, this would be super easy if the language were Spanish for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to the fact that I have both 1. a medium-level ability to read (but not speak) Spanish and 2. several students for whom Spanish was their first language; I’m sure I could convince them to practice speaking it with me fairly easily.
-Somewhere to which I can drive and take my not-yet-acquired puppy. The one thing about traveling so much is that it makes it difficult to do things like, say, get a puppy. But I’d really like a puppy; I have two small dogs, but I want a large-breed dog to take running and hiking. But thanks to Bella & Duke Podcast about dogs which helps me to know how to take my dog on trip. If the destination I choose is located anywhere in North America, I’m driving there. With the puppy I will procure as soon as the trip is booked.
-Ideally, I’d choose somewhere I’ve never been before. However, this is not a deal breaker. I’ve already been to some great places (see also: Cape Cod and the Islands, coastal Maine) that I wouldn’t mind spending (a lot) more time exploring.
So–all of that being said–can someone help me? Where should I go? Please make suggestions in the comment section below. Thanks!
EDIT: It’s a few days later, and I feel compelled to provide an update. First, I clearly crossed off that whole puppy thing. I think I’m going to give up that dream; it’s just too hard to find anywhere that accepts pets. So no puppy for me. And second–I’ve found it necessary to focus more on a few geographic areas for research and budgeting purposes. I am currently looking at:
5. Asheville, North Carolina
4. Budapest, Hungary
3. Barcelona, Spain
2. Boulder, Colorado
1. Quebec City
Yes, Canada is once again at the top of my list. And yes, I totally named North Carolina and Hungary right next to each other. When has that ever happened before? I felt kind of silly even typing it!
Ok.. like me you play around with LOTS of ideas for travel. Sounds like Ireland is probably out (expensive, not much public transport) Scotland- a bit more of a possibility (you could learn Scottish Gaelic).
You could consider what we are right now- Greece. Fair to good public transport (especially the ferries between islands) but might need a car. Everything from Moutains to beaches. History, philosophy, religion, literature… would meet your teacher’s heart’s needs. Lovely places/things to photograph. Cheaper than before. LOTS of small local wineries. Lots of rental properties. Lots of day trip possibilities whether you stay on an island or the mainland, city or rural. Could even go over to Istanbul Turkey for a few days…..
Just a thought.
Then there is … HERE. You could rent a place in the moutains of NC or Georgia. Or a place on the outer banks NC or the beaches of SC or GA. AND do some AWESOME day/short break trips!!! And there are wineries!!! And craft breweries!!!! And potteries…
Fun isn’t it!!!
You’re in Greece right now? That’s fantastic! You’ll have to tell me all about it when you return. I hadn’t considered it, but now I will look into it. For some reason, I don’t equate ‘Greece’ with ‘good transportation’. But I’m sure I may be wrong.
Also–I was actually going to write ‘and Toni, if you don’t suggest NC, I will be really disappointed’ at the end of this post. I typed it and backspaced it. Seriously. Ha!
No not there now. Thinking about going this summer. A former work colleague of Chuck’s retired and returned to Greece (born there) to build a house on one of the islands. She lives there half the year. We would show her Austria and she would show us Greece.
I didn’t mean you HAD to come to NC just insider coming south. Georgia, Nc and parts of SC would be good bases. With 8weeks you could pick 3 or 4 bases and see LOTS of the south. Bases I’d consider Roanoke or Hatteras if you want to see the outer banks. Winston-Salem or Charlotte for the foot hills/ piedmont. Asheville or Boone for the mountains. Myrtle Beach, or charleston SC. Add more beach/ coast choices as would Savannah Ga. Atlanta is huge you could go to my “native Heath” around Canton or Cummimg and be able to see lots of the cit as well as the mountain area.
Austria and Greece–sounds like a GREAT trade!
Right now I’m entirely in love with the idea of Barcelona. I can’t let it go. I’m sure I WILL let it go, after I exhaust my ‘reasonably priced lodging’ options. But for now–that’s where my heart is.
My mind, however, is like ‘just stay home you can’t keep traveling!’ Fortunately I rarely ever listen to my mind.
Wow, exciting planning going! The closest I ever did to something like this was when I studied abroad in Oxford. It was great to have a “home base” and there were tons of day trips because there were so many nearby cities I wanted to see in England! Of course, England doesn’t really fit in with the “reasonably priced lodging.”
I actually really enjoyed my trip to Tennessee, so choosing somewhere in the South and being able to visit some of the main cities down there might be fun. I like the recommendation of staying in Asheville – it’s a really cool city. Plus you wanted nature, and the Great Smoky Mountains park is not too far.
Of course, Barcelona sounds like a dream… maybe you’ll find a reasonably priced place to stay there and it will all work out!
oooh…asheville might be a PERFECT alternative to boulder. hmmm. i may need to look into that right now!
please tell me more about your oxford experience sometime. ‘attend oxford’ is on my bucket list. actually, it IS my bucket list. well, aside from ‘visit x, y, z’. and by ‘x,y,z’ i mean ‘the entire alphabet’. 😉
I would love to tell you about Oxford sometime! Many of the people in my program were traveling to various countries every other weekend, but for the most part I decided to stay in Oxford and see what it had to offer, as well as cities within a few hours of there. I’m really glad I did that because I don’t know that I’d ever get the chance to do something like that again!
oh and also–barcelona does not seem like it is going to work out. i’ve emailed maybe a dozen places i found on vrbo, and every time they reply i find out they are some huge scam company. the reviews on tripadvisor are AWFUL. i’m writing a post about it, actually. stay tuned!
This sounds like a fantastic plan, Tracy, if you can figure out where to go. I like the idea of Europe for such a scheme because of the excellent public transportation options available. You could plunk yourself down in some central spot and either catch trains, buses or cheap regional planes to other parts of Europe for long weekends and short jaunts. So pick a relatively inexpensive European country (possibly Eastern European) and go from there.
Yes–some of my facebook friends are strongly suggesting making Budapest my home base. I spent some time last night looking at it. Of course, then I get out of control, because I’m like ‘oh Prague is right there…and so is Vienna…’ etc.
Oh the issues I have!
Hadn’t thought about Eastern Europe. Just before we had to stop our international travel, we were contemplating a trip that included Lubjiana. Cool place. Not too expensive. Check it out.
I loved Asheville when I went there for a conference a year or so ago. I was surprised at the vibe, how cool and laid-back and artsy it was. There is also so much to do in and around the city, inside and outside, I think I would love to spend a summer there! (I LOVE historic houses, though, so my love of Biltmore is probably clouding my judgement.)
Budapest was a very cool place, and quite convenient for other trips in Europe, too. Don’t miss the baths if you do go there. It was very easy and relatively inexpensive to get to Prague (LOVE) and Vienna (EH) from Budapest on the train system. However, I did find it to be a bit more difficult to find my way around Budapest since I don’t speak Hungarian. While many folks do speak English, it wasn’t as widespread as in Western Europe. But, it would be a cool place to spend the summer!
I would go for Asheville!
Yeah–the Hungarian language thing is the only thing keeping me from jumping up and down at the idea of Budapest. And really–Vienna–eh? Huh. Who knew? My husband is all about the whole Prague/Vienna/Budapest trip. But that hardly sounds like staying in one place!
I like Asheville a lot–though I’m having a hard time finding a reasonable rental. I thought it would be a good compromise from Boulder (where I simply CAN NOT find a reasonable rental) but then my husband got all excited about Quebec, and I got all excited about Quebec…ah yes. What problems I have!
Thanks for your thoughts! I’ll keep you updated as planning continues! I hope to have something figured out–and booked–soon!
Since you aren’t finding much in Asheville, check out areas surrounding/near Asheville. You might find more rentals there: Lake Lure, Black Moutain, Ridegcrest, Canton(NC), Boone (college town- Appilachian Univ), Blowing Rock, Waynesville, Cullowhee( college town- Western Carolina University- and lots of great shops), Hendersonville,Flat Rock (has a great theatre- the Flat Rock Playhouse and home of Carl Sandburg), Blue Ridge (my parents used to own a house there nice little area with lots of antique stores, etc. and a very reasonable drive to the Atlanta area, too), Brevard,Chimney Rock, Murphy, etc.
Or go closer to the ‘foothills/piedmont’ area- Marion, Morganton, Shelby, Hickory. Then you’d be a reasonable driving distance to the moutains, Charlotte, the winery area around Lexington/Greensboro and Winston-Salem. And only about 4-5 hours from the beaches!
My brother-in-law owns a house in Canton, but I don’t think they’d rent it all summer. He is a methodist minister currently stationed in China Grove (about 40 min. out of Charlotte). But I’ll try to remember to ask his wife next week.
You could also check out Charlotte- then you are 2 hours from the moutains, 30 min. -2 hours from winerie, and 3-5 from the beaches; 4 hours from Atlana and about the same to Charleston/Savannah area. You could probably find a rental on either Lake Norman or Lake Wylie or on the Catwba River.
I was going to suggest some places outside of Asheville, since the city itself is a bit pricey, but Toni beat me to it!
My aunt and uncle have a cabin outside of Asheville, and while many of the outlying areas are kind of “in the middle of nowhere,” that’s a pretty cool thing to experience too – they’re about a half hour drive into the city.
Yeah–Toni and Becky–I don’t know how I’d feel about being ‘away from it all’. Half of me thinks it sounds absolutely awful, but the other half thinks it might be nice. relaxing, even. i don’t know. i’m super torn. i guess that’s the nature of this kind of trip–it requires a lot of thought, since it is a semi-major decision to live somewhere for a month or two. a long weekend in a less than perfect destination–no problem. but if i mess this up, my whole summer sucks.
gee–thinking that way didn’t make me feel any better!
One other thing to think about (especially given your last comment)..
Why not pick 2 destinations. One month (roughly) in each. You’d not get bored, and certainly wouldn’t be rushed. You could do Charleston/Savannah and Asheville area. Or north Florida or the Gulf coast of Florida, then head back via The Appalachian trail/Blue Ridge parkway. Or- I think a better compromise with your ‘usual’ style- pick 3 or 4 (max 6) places and stay a week or two in each (allowing some travel time). Make a big circle route if you like, down the coast and back up the moutains, etc.
I was actually JUST thinking that. Like our road trip two summers ago, but south instead of north. And with longer stays in each place.
So…basically nothing like the trip I described in this post!
Ha!
But seriously–I thought about it, but the problem is this: I’m trying to keep this budget friendly. And the longer you stay somewhere, the cheaper it is. I’m looking at an apartment for $1800/month. That’s less than $70/night. I don’t know how I’d swing that any other way.
I’m sure you’ve considered these points but I just thought I would mention you may want to do a trial run in Europe before committing to two full months considering your last trip. I know you’ve since realized many of the issues with your trip and know better know but there’s one thing about Europe in the summer you can’t control – crowds. Barcelona and Buda are both packed with crowds during July and August, combine that with oppressive heat could make for some trying times. I’m not saying you’ll hate it or have a bad time it could be amazing but it’s something to consider for that length of a trip and expensive flights, plus while it’s not as bad as when I spent 5 months in France in 08 – the exchange rates are not great. Not trying to be a Debbie downer, I love Europe (Paris especially) and hope you one day will have an awesome time there yourself.
Oh no–you’re not being a downer at all. Trust me–I’m seriously considering that. Which is why Quebec City is at the top of my list! Ha!
Quebec will be crowded too–there’s a whole big music festival the first two weeks in July that almost made me take it off the list completely (I still may–for that very reason). It stinks that I’m ‘only’ able to travel in the crowded summer months. But hey–at least if I go north, it won’t be terribly hot.
Though it could RAIN the whole time, like it did for my summer in Canada in 2011!
Is there a non-crowded, non-hot place to visit during July??? Where would that be, because I really should go there!
Good point about the heat being everywhere, well just about… If you cross the equator you head into the winter season -somewhere in South Anerica perhaps? Depending on the location it would fit your Spanish goals as well.
I was all about Peru. My husband vetoed that almost immediately. Hmmm–maybe I need to re-remember why I love solo travel? Ha! (only half kidding!)
Budget friendly…. hummmm… Well you could camp part of the time- especially on the NC & SC coast and the moutains. And I bet if you start looking now, you could find a house/apartment on the coast for 2-4 weeks for less than what you’ve seen elsewhere. The outer banks are really nice- you have the ocean and the sounds, LOTS of lighthouses (NC has 7 or 8 or more I think), history (Roanoke Island is where the FIRST colonists from England landed- not Jamestown), theatre- the Lost Colony play has been in production for a VERY VERY long time- Andy Griffith got his start there), gardens, museums, etc. Personally 2 weeks would be enough for me though. Then maybe Charleston-Savannah-Beaufort area for a week. Bet you could get a good rate at a b&b. Then swing over towards Atlanta and head north towards Canton, Ga (my hometown area) and Blue Ridge NC. Rent a place or find a b&b for 2-3 weeks between there and Asheville. Then head towards the middle of NC for the wineries— and back up through Virgina- or just stay on the Blue Ridge parkway until you are almost home.
This is reply 1 of 2…
First–no. We could not camp. I don’t camp. I camped every weekend for a year of high school and four years of college. I am done camping. Wherever I sleep, there needs to be a private toilet very near by. And shower in the morning.
Second–I ran this idea by Doug. He’s SO INSANELY OPPOSED to driving south in the summer. So please–tell me things like ‘it really isn’t that hot’. Give me a way to convince him it won’t be miserable. Or…I could do a short trip alone first!
Reply 2 coming soon…
I understand about camping. Our family did that when I was a child. And I swore I wouldn’t ever again. As for what to tell Doug, the mountains are often very much cooler than we are in the piedmont. And while the beaches are warm, the sea breeze makes them very nice.
Besides the fact that you would probably need a car (and they speak English, sort of), for some reason, The Big Island in Hawaii is coming to mind. It’s such a unique culture out on the islands, that you can’t really believe you are still in the US. It’s a bit isolated, but there are so many islands to explore, you could do some serious living in 2 months.
Or maybe it’s just a dream of mine. I couldn’t live there forever, but 2 months would be perfect!
While that would be awesome–and I’d love to do it some day–it’s just super not in the budget this year. But again–I’m sure it would be AMAZING!