The Best Way to Travel – Advice From A Well-Traveled Traveler 

We travel the world to venture outside our own culture and absorb another. To travel is to gain knowledge like never before and to experience something outside of yourself. You expose yourself to the people around you and the vibrancy of whatever place you’re in at that time. Real travel means placing yourself in the shoes of the locals and truly becoming one.

When I travel, that’s exactly what I do – soak in something entirely new. It’s what I did in Paris.. Moved there to get a job and truly live the Parisian life.. It’s what I did in Bristol last week.. Worked all day scooping ice cream at a BBQ festival.. And since being in Wales, I’ve done just that once again.

I don’t like to just visit fancy places and do all of the tourist things. Quite the contrary, really. For example, in Wrexham, Wales I’ve been working in a pub serving up pints to the locals alongside Aimi. I’d much rather establish a relationship with the people who actually live in the city I’m visiting than just glance at them from a touristy bubble while walking down the street.

Since working in and actually living in the pub this week, I’ve befriended so many kind old men who frequent the pub and have truly seen how The North lives.

Sipping down ales and gulping down chips, the men have constantly provided laughs and stories and contributed to my experience here. For instance, one of the old men used to know John Lennon and Paul McCartney. He went to school with both of them and told me how they were just regular ole’ down to earth lads. He would usually catch their empty shows in the pubs in Liverpool to support them before anyone ever knew them as “The 4 Lads Who Shook the World.” How crazy is that? And I’d have never gotten to know such a nice ole’ chap if I hadn’t wanted to dive head first in the Welsh life.

So if I could recommend a way to travel for everyone in the world, it would be not only to SEE places, but to actually LIVE them.