People make the place

7/20/2013

(Photo by © Brandon Elijah Scott / Eye & Pen)

Seeing the sights, learning the culture, and eating the food are always fun little highlights when traveling, but what truly makes the destination come alive is when you experience a true connection. Most seasoned travelers will tell you that the people make the place... Because making a connection with locals who live their lives differently, perhaps uniquely, offers a whole new world of experiences and possibilities. The moment you slow the pace of your travels and look passed the sights, the tourist traps, and all of the junk littered in-between, it’s easier to let travel change you. And when you’re looking back on your wanderings with romanticized memories, you will typically fantasize about the people and the conversations, and the adventures you shared, rather than the fish and chips you ate or that nifty looking ancient ruin.

To really get to know a place, you need to get in with the people, and live the lives of the locals while you’re there. There are various ways to making connections with locals, but no matter what, the most important thing you can do is to be real, honest, curious, and fearless – everlasting curiosity and openness is a must when you’re experiencing new things and getting to know new people who’s lives may be completely different than your own. Trust is another powerful influential force that many struggle with, many fear, but is a requirement when facing the new and unknown. So, I urge – no, I challenge you to open yourself up and to truly get to know the place you’re visiting.

(This piece was written by Brandon Elijah Scott and originally published by HostelsClub)

16 Comments

Donna_st_lou

7/21/2013 03:16:23 am

This post is so true - people make the place. Learned that first hand in ST Kits.

Brandon Elijah Scott link

12/27/2013 09:58:15 pm

Absolutely. I think that when people open themselves up they will hear some wonderful and sometimes crazy stories that make for good times. :) Happy Travels.

Di Brown link

7/21/2013 04:37:00 am

Hi Brandon, I totally agree. I actually wrote about it last week. My highlighted travel memories and stories are about the people I met, just adds so much more to the attraction of the place. My first question usually is, "where do the locals go?" This is why it is so important for locals to be open to positive interactions with tourists. We all have stories to tell, locals and travellers, and life is so much richer when shared. Nice piece, Regards, Di

Brandon Elijah Scott link

12/27/2013 10:01:42 pm

Thank you for stopping by. :)
I also ask that question first.I also. I love talking to new people and swapping stories.

idealo flight comparison

7/21/2013 09:25:14 pm

So true. The inverse also applies, bad experiences with locals can really mar the entire experience

Brandon Elijah Scott link

12/27/2013 10:03:54 pm

Yes, negative experiences can leave a bad taste in your mouth however, it is important to not let an experience that is negative keep your from traveling or experiencing the positives.

Kirsten Amor link

7/22/2013 08:19:14 am

Beautiful photograph! You're right, often times its the people you meet when travelling that makes a place stick in your mind.

Brandon Elijah Scott link

12/27/2013 10:07:04 pm

For sure! I would say more times than not, when you have negative experiences with people it really makes it more hard to want to return.

Anne O'Connell link

7/23/2013 02:09:13 pm

Hi Brandon,
What an amazing photo... such absorbing depth! Where was it taken? It so beautifully depicts the impact of inhaling culture through every sense and learning about a new culture through the eyes of the local people. Immersing yourself rewards one with experiences that can't be enjoyed from behind the walls of the all-inclusive or from the inside of a tour bus. However, for those who do travel that way, your photos and stories will help infuse them with the true nature of a place!

I'm glad I found your blog! Thanks for the invitation via Twitter. I look forward to more of your travels.

Happy Trails!
Anne :)

Brandon Scott link

7/23/2013 03:36:55 pm

Absolutely, so right :)

Thank you!

The photos is from Verona, Italy.

AllTenToes link

7/24/2013 12:40:07 am

I couldn't agree more about seeing beyond the sights. Often I have gone back to a place after many years and had a totally different feeling about it. And why? Because I met different people. That is the key factor, along with being open to that.

Brandon Elijah Scott link

12/27/2013 10:09:18 pm

The more people you meet, the broader your outlook on life will be. Meeting people who have different outlooks on life will make you a wiser person. One day you will meet someone and do something with that person that you never would have done if you didn't meet them

Silvia link

9/14/2013 02:15:25 am

So agree! We just experienced the importance of this in Kazakhstan. We weren't so excited about the cities and sites we went to (much prefer Kyrygzstan), but the people were so, so warm and welcoming. Definitely made the country for us.

Brandon Elijah Scott link

12/27/2013 10:12:46 pm

We all know that communication and community is important however, when traveling it is of the essence. I also pay attention to non-verbal communication when traveling. A lot of times the non-verbal communication sets the stage for verbal communication.

Alberto link

1/30/2014 06:36:19 am

Great post Elijah, I agree with you, places can be wonderful but people allows us to see things in a different way. Behind the places there are always people with their stories. Get in touch with them open our mind, give us new perspective.

Sally link

3/25/2014 07:06:11 pm

Hi Brandon, the topic of this article, really rang true to me. It is something very special when you get to stop, look around and just breathe in the culture, the scenery and take time to meet the local people. This is when something special happens. We have meet some wonderful people on our own cooking holidays that we run in a unknown but very beautiful medieval hilltop village in Italy....and as they( our cooking holidays guests) are here for longer with us we certainly share with them what we can about living here, so close to Rome, yet so far away from the crowds. There is an opportunity to wander the streets here and meet the locals and exactly what you have said in your post, is what our guests find so special about their time with us......and of course the food, the wine, the cooking classes and the afternoon excursions to explore this wonderful area....Thanks for sharing your thoughts Brandon and I look forward to reading more from you.

People make the place

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