Disclaimer: This article includes the author’s personal stories and experiences while traveling to different parts of the world.
Excitement, relaxation, discovery, and adventure are all words that people may think of when looking forward to traveling to a new place. Surprise, unexpectedness, and confusion, on the other hand, are sometimes part of travel experiences. Choosing excursions, reserving hotel rooms, and familiarizing oneself with the city is necessary for the planning process, yet be aware that expectations do not always match reality.
Taking the Subway
Using public transportation like the subway is useful in major cities where the traffic is very dense. It seems simple enough to use too. One may assume that it is as easy as buying their subway ticket, seeing the route, getting on, and then getting off. My family and I went to Paris in 2016 and our subway experience was not as simple as that. When the train finally arrived we were surprised that the doors did not open automatically. We knew that if we did not enter quickly, the train would leave us. We saw a man manually open the doors at the far end, so with wide eyes we followed his example. As my dad was the last one rushing in, the doors closed on his arms! He was able to push them aside, but once we reached our destination, he jumped in front of us and screamed, “Me first,” causing us to laugh until our sides hurt.
Photo Credit: Andrea Leyva
Trying to Take the Perfect Photos
Taking pictures of the beautiful scenery and of your family members having a great time is part of what makes traveling so enjoyable. When I first went to Europe, I expected to take a picture with the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Mona Lisa with ample room and a gorgeous view. The reality was that I had to be clever in order to take unique pictures. The Eiffel Tower is often seen to be surrounded by vibrant, green grass and a maximum of a handful of people nearby. When I went there in the summer, there was no grass and the area was so crowded that I had to get creative to get a decent enough photo. My visit to the Leaning Tower of Pisa was one filled with surprise too. Vendors are lined up all along the street and a large section of the grass in front of the tower is blocked off to the public. Instead of having abundant room, there were people along the fence doing the same “holding up the tower” stances. Luckily, we were able to find space and a smart angle to capture my family and me in fun poses.
Photo Credit: Andrea Leyva
Bring a Phrase Book
One expectation most people may have is that wherever they travel there will be someone who speaks English there to help. I learned that this is not the case when I ordered food at a pit stop in Canada. The official language of Montréal is French, and although a large number of the population speaks English, one worker at this restaurant did not. I never thought that pointing to ingredients to make a sandwich would be so difficult. It did not matter how slowly I spoke or how many hand signals I used, the language barrier was too large. We had a better experience when we went to Paris, France, but that was because my mom was there to use the little bit of French that she knows. There were a few times that we wished we knew the language of a foreign country, so a translation app, phrase book, or basic knowledge of the language would have been so helpful to have!
Photo Credit: Andrea Leyva
Niagara Falls
People may go to Niagara Falls expecting to see enormous cascades that make a spectacular view and some may even take the optional boat ride beside the waterfalls! What some visitors may not know is that, even though a head-to-toe poncho is provided on the boat, the reality is that your shoes and anywhere that skin shows it is likely to get soaking wet. There is no section of the boat in which one will be dry, as the whole deck is a splash zone. The strong mist of water spraying at people’s faces prevents them from being able to open their eyes and see a full view of the waterfalls from the bottom. Nevertheless, the experience was unforgettable!
Photo Credit: Insider
Thanksgiving Day Parade at NYC
An event that families look forward to on Thanksgiving is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Artists sing on highly decorated floats, balloons that are multiple stories high come in the shape of different beloved characters, and Santa comes in his sleigh at the very end to welcome everyone into the season of Christmas. It is an event that my family and I have watched on television every morning of every year on Thanksgiving. In 2014 we made the trip to New York City to see the parade in person. We believed that the overall experience was going to be exactly like what we had seen on television for many years. The reality was that all that excitement is reserved for the VIP section in front of the Macy’s store. On the day of the parade, several subway stations were closed, the sidewalks were so cramped that people were packed like sardines in a jar, and the weather was much colder than we expected. From our tiny corner, we heard no music accompanying the floats, no artists sang, and it was difficult to see their faces or the signs announcing who they were. It even started to snow, making my mother the happiest she had ever been to see Santa arrive at the end. The year after, my family and I enjoyed watching the parade while drinking hot chocolate from the comfort of our beds.
Despite the unexpected events that can occur, those experiences provide amusing stories and fond memories to look back on when the trip is over!