Travel Curious

Welcome to my travel website Travel Curious, where I post about our travels around the world.

Growing up an Airforce brat moving every two years infected me with a travel bug that drives me to explore the world today.

In my early twenties I was a professional photographer, today I have the luxury of making images just for my own pleasure. Travel also feeds my second passion for history.

In order to make the most of the destinations, I visit I do a lot of research prior to the trip and then explore and dig deeper once there. This website is the culmination of my research and personal experiences and a way to help others with a similar passion get a head start for their own trips.

I hope in some small way all that you find here allows you to explore the world and make your own memories.

How I Travel Curious

It starts with a desire to explore actively.

Slow Travel

It means to slow down, savor and appreciate your travel experiences and especially the local sights, food, and people.

It is the opposite of rushing to check off popular attractions in the pursuit of selfies and Instagram posts. While there is nothing wrong with selfies or Instagram we like both of them, but slow travel is about living and not showing how you live.

Get off the beaten path, spend enough time soaking up the moments, and doing the smaller things that will create unique memories you will remember for a lifetime.

How to travel curious

Research
I’m not a seat-of-your-pants traveler. Travel is too expensive and time is too limited when you travel. Having a well-thought-out, well-researched itinerary done before we arrive allows us to relax and just follow our plan.
Learn some of the local language
Try to learn at least some basic phrases of the local language, even if it’s just “restaurant Italian” for instance, being able to at least ask for a table and order and ask for the check is a minimum. Knowing please and thank you goes a long way in a foreign country, it shows you are at least trying and helps break the ice with the locals.
Seek local foods
Most places you will travel to will have at least a few foods or drinks unique to the local culture. I always research these before a trip so once there I’m already aware of them and have my eyes peeled for them in local restaurants, street food vendors, small mom-and-pop grocery stores or local street markets.
Get off the main streets
Typically getting at least one street back off the main tourist drag removes you from the tourist zone and sets you in the places that the locals go to.
Festivals & Holidays
Festivals are fantastic for discovering local foods and beverages, music and customs. Festivals can be tied to local events in history, harvest or religious events. Mingling with the locals as they celebrate is a nice way to feel connected to the local culture.
Cooking Classes
Learning how to make perogies in Poland or pasta in Italy from a grandmother who has been preparing their local foods for decades is not only a memorable experience, but you are gaining skills you will have for life.
Sponsored Home Cooked Meals
Various companies and websites can link travelers to locals to enjoy a home-cooked meal or dinner party, typically for a fee. You can meet fellow travelers and ask questions of your friendly host to gain lost of local knowledge while enjoying local foods in the comfort of your hosts home.
Seek out the what made them famous experiences
Having experiences that were born where you are visiting is a great way to experience a foreign place, for instance, Bungi jumping was born in New Zealand, you can still try it at the very establishment that started the whole thing.