<\/p>\n

I recently got tipped off on an interesting blog mini-series, if you will, over at the Freedonia Post<\/a>, titled Confessions of a Cultural Idiot. The author, Alex, is embarking on a RTW trip on his Muffin Top — the name he chose for the overstuffed bicycle he\u2019s using — starting this July.<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t had much time to delve into the broader site yet, but caught his \u201cIdiot\u201d series and was struck at the honesty of his words. In the wake of Monday\u2019s adventurous Asian delicacies<\/a> article, his first post<\/a> is a revealing reminder of some of the weaknesses we take with us in our travels.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeriously, have you SEEN a 100-year-old egg? Fear has prevented me from really diving into them.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t long ago that I had some of these very same thoughts wandering the streets of Korea and greater Asia. Having similar thoughts doesn\u2019t mean that you have yet to graduate into the realm of the true traveler, it just means that some things may take some getting used to (whether you like them or not). As he puts it, \u201cfor god\u2019s sake, I\u2019ve had the food at Arby\u2019s, which should be infinitely more frightening than sampling fried crickets.\u201d I concur.<\/p>\n

The second installment<\/a>, \u201cLearn,\u201d delves inward to criticize his past styles of travel. Alex wants to move beyond the philosophy of \u201cticking off the next box\u201d of must-see sights, in favor of finding the deeper value in traveling, or the stories and experiences behind those sights. That may just be the epiphany we are all searching for.<\/p>\n

The most valuable tip offered is to simply slow down. \u00a0He uses the Louvre as an example. As much as you\u2019d like to hustle through all the rooms to see each of the 4,000 works there, he recommends, \u201cstop[ing] at 20 pieces you really like and then learn[ing] everything you can about them. Contrary to popular belief, there is no prize at the end of the Louvre scavenger hunt.\u201d<\/p>\n

I look forward to vicariously riding Muffin Top with you on your journey, Alex.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I recently got tipped off on an interesting blog mini-series, if you will, over at the Freedonia Post, titled Confessions of a Cultural Idiot. The author, Alex, is embarking on a RTW trip on his Muffin Top — the name he chose for the overstuffed bicycle he\u2019s using — starting this July. I haven\u2019t had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6099,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,2561],"tags":[783,477,915,178],"yoast_head":"\n