The New York Times Travel Show Weekend
Just back from the New York Times Travel Show in New York, so I thought I would write a brief note about it today. I have the follow-up to do: writing down all my ideas for travel and articles, following up with the people I met, and the usual editing of photos. And the trip is also helping to crystallize my thoughts for my delayed review of my 2019 travel.
A very enjoyable part of the Travel Show was attending the seminar and workshops, on both the trade professional day and the consumer day. Listening to Sebastian Modak, the NYT 52 places guy for 2019 was a highlight, particularly the lessons he learned, which I, of course, agree with. Unfortunately due to political actions, there is an asterisk attached to his 52, since Iran was removed from the list for obvious reasons, making it 51.
I share his opinion to be willing to throw out your plans (or in my case, just not have them!) to be open to even more amazing experiences. And being open is the prerequisite to get the most out of any travel.
If I could name a theme throughout the presentations, it would be sustainability, which I particularly appreciated because my travels last year, particularly through SE Asia and India, sensitized me even more to sustainability and environmental impact of travel. I expect to focus more on it this year.
Given my interest in learning languages, the exhibitor Language and Luxury (www.languageandluxury.com) caught my eye. When I did the one-week Spanish immersion program with Diverbo (Pueblo Espanol), I jumped a whole level. Of course, the trick to maintaining that level is to keep using it.
Most importantly, I have two main takeaways from the show. One is a renewed commitment to documenting and sharing my travels through writing (here and in articles for publication by other media) and photography. The other is a greater sense of what I mean in this title of Travel Better Live Better, that is travel is a means of personal growth and transformation. Tying the two themes together, how can we achieve that personal transformation while doing good for the planet?
