Spontaneity...the missing ingredient

By Jordan Nelson
Too often it seems that we get so caught up in traveling, seeing the "must sees" and doing the "must do's" that we wear ourselves completely thin, running from one place to another, all for the sake of checking off a list. We're so occupied in making sure we do what is "expected" of a trip to a certain place, that we forget to simply relax and relish the time we spend there! That's one advantage of being able to stay somewhere for more than just a few days or a week, I think: you get to experience the ups and downs in your enthusiasm to do the touristy things.

When I arrived in Madrid only a few weeks ago, it had been three years since I had been here. I was so excited to get back and to reacquiant myself with the sites I had seen and for three long years longed to see again. I went everywhere. I spent my afternoons wandering the city. Palacio Real. Plaza de España. Templo de Debod. Plaza Mayor. Bam, bam, bam. Always moving, always seeing, always doing.

But what results? A week goes by, then another. Classes start. Metro rides seem longer and longer each day. You get worn out. And, along with your energy, goes your desire to do fun things, to have adventure! Pretty soon you're stuck in a rut that goes something like this: Wake up; metro ride to school (or work); classes (or work); metro ride to errands; metro ride back home; you're worn out; you eat; you go to sleep; you go to bed; you do it all again, kind of like a shampoo bottle--lather, rinse, repeat.

It's tough, and it takes a conscious effort, but it's important to snap out of this rut while abroad! No matter how long you are in a foreign place, it always seems too short when it comes time to end. It's easy to fall into the workaday/everyday rut, but that's what home is for! When you're abroad, you simply have to make the best of your time. So break the mold, put on your adventurous façade (whether you actually are or not is of no relevance), and do something completely unexpected and spontaneous!

For me, this breaking-of-the-rut happened today. It was tough, since nobody wanted to do it with me. All my friends here are still in their ruts right now. But as for me, I was ready to get back in the adventure lane. So I took a dive into the unknown and hopped on a train system with which I was completely unfamiliar to go somewhere. I did not plan; I did not think; I did not pack. I got out of classes, got on the metro with the intention to head home, and, upon stopping at Atocha Renfe station, I decided to quite staring at that Cercanías sign I see everyday and just hop on board already!

I had previously thought about going to Segovia, but like I said, sometimes you just have to abandon all organization and planning and simply go for the adventure. As I rode on the train, I admired the scenery whiz by me. We pulled into Cercedillas train station, where I would have to transfer trains to go to Segovia. Upon stepping onto the platform, however, the town's charm caught my attention...and thus I abandoned my already minimal plans and started walking on the road.

It wasn't much. I just walked around the town, bought some supplies at the supermarket for a picnic, and ate on a bench overlooking the town and the mountains beyond. I made my own sandwiches of bread, ketchup, mozzarella cheese, and jamón serrano (all my favorite ingredients!). I completed the meal with a doughnut and a Cola-Cao energy chocolate drink.

I walked a bit more, enjoyed the countryside, the cows with bells around their necks, and the cars flying by on the narrow streets with non-existent sidewalks. I returned to the station and caught the next train back to Madrid.

In short, sometimes the sites with the longest entry lines, or the most number of visitors per year, etc aren't always what you will remember most when you return home. Sometimes, what you will most remember, is the day you hopped on a train without knowing its destination, and wandered the streets of a town you had never heard of ||



Some things to remember when injecting spontaneity in your trip:
--If your companions don't want to join you, don't be afraid to leave without them! You can meet up with them later. Don't miss out on adventure just to tag along with people.

--Don't be afraid of having no plan, or even no "escape route." Chances are you're traveling in at least a semi- if not fully developed nation (like Spain!). If you get on a train somewhere, you'll be hard pressed to arrive somewhere where you can't get back easily. So just go! What's the worst that could happen? Get stuck there for the night? Sounds like a good thing to me!

--Turn off your cell phone. If you're just going for the day, take full advantage of the escape and turn off your communication to the outside world. If you have a phone for emergencies, then put it on silent and simply check it when necessary; but a get away isn't a get away if you're still chained to other thoughts and worries!

--Pick a place you've never heard of, instead of going for some place on your "list." Better yet, hop on a train without paying attention to the destination (or click on a random destination at the ticket vending machine, if applicable).

--Get aways don't equal expensive! My round trip ticket cost about 6 euro. Picnic food cost about 8. If you're really pressed for cash, narrow it down a little. Pick a random metro station and explore a new and unfamiliar part of the city.

--Stop reading this, and just go already!

Happy travels,
Perro Callejero