Same Same or Different?
A question came up in a recent conversation with a friend regarding travel to a familiar destination. She and her husband lived in Italy for three years and loved it there. For the past two years, they have been living in the United States again. Next year is their tenth anniversary, and they want to plan a special trip.
Should they go back to Italy for two weeks?
My first response was NO. Because, selfishly, that is not what I would do. I have a huge travel list, or what OneGiantStep calls a “not-a-bucket-list”. There are so many places I have not seen, that there are very few places I would return to (I will save the list of places I would return to for another post).
But then I took a step back to look at it from her point of view. They LIVED there, they loved it there. Is that different?
Sometimes I think people go back to the same place because they want it to be like they remembered, to relive an amazing journey or vacation. But what if it is not the same type of experience? Would it be better to leave a terrific memory just that, a memory? Or is the risk worth the benefit of going to a place filled with the possibilities of the same warmth and amazement as before?
So the question I put out to you the readers is a spin on one of my favorite Thai quotes “Same same, but different”. Would you or do you prefer to go back to the same place again, or do you prefer to go somewhere different?
Josette said:
The love of travel for me is to experience the beauty and diversity of the various cultures. Definitely my answer is to go to a different country. What’s the point of going back to the same – I’ll see a culture I’ve already experienced. It’s amazing how may ways people interpret and handle life. To think there is one way is so limiting. There’s only one answer for me – a different trip means a different culture. But then you knew that would be my answer.
Gail said:
My husband and I were faced with this question for our 10-yr anniversary trip in May. Unable to make a decision, we did both. We spent half the time in a new place, Budapest, and half the time in the place where we met and used to live, Germany. It was the perfect balance. We thoroughly loved the new adventure in Budapest, but we also basked in the nostalgia and old familiarities of Germany.
I prefer this same balanced approach to travels in general. I love exploring new cities, new countries, new cultures, new languages. But I know that I will only scratch the surface. I can’t stand it when people go somewhere for a week or two and then think they are an expert on “the people” there. To have any hope of truly understanding a country or a culture that is not your own, it requires a large time commitment. So, I prefer to intersperse new places with just a few places I like to return to. It is my travel ying-yang.
Amy said:
I like Gail’s answer! I think it would be impossible to stay away from someplace that we love so deeply, but it’s totally reasonable to plan a trip to a new place ALONG WITH revisiting a beloved destination. Great food for thought in this post!
Gillian @OneGiantStep said:
How did I miss this post? I’ll have to check my reader settings…
First off I agreed with you – go somewhere new! But then I think back to how much I love Greece (our first international destination in 2004) and I would like to return but you’re right, it would be because I want that feeling again. Now, we’re thinking of returning to Thailand – but to live this time (temporarily anyway) – I think I’m looking for something different this time. A more in-depth experience. But, generally, I’m interested in new!
A Cook Not Mad (Nat) said:
It’s true people do return to a familiar place expecting a similar experience. We were n’a tiny village in France in 1997 and returned 15 years later (also to visit friends). We expected the village wouldn’t have changed much but it was a different place and not so enjoyable. Sometimes it’s better to keep the memories and move on.