As time goes by- Your GTG around the clock

Hi again globetrotters and bienvenida to one of our long-awaited post- South American exclusives. This week your GTG has decided to touch on a topic of particular relevance to those control freaks amongst us such as myself.

It may come as no surprise to read that a reluctance to let go and travel are far from consistent. Although the evident truth in this idea would suggest that the highly strung might prefer not to travel, it’s still easy to find yourself in situations throughout a trip where you feel a little unexpectedly tense.

This in a way is testimony to the ability of travel to facilitate a greater degree of self familiarity. For this globetrotter, a loose time schedule is about as relaxing as a sandpaper bath. Thus I found myself in South America, after a second or third night out in a row that all lasted till 6am, first one up, showered and ready to go, with still no sign of my party posse.

Given that museums, galleries, and most businesses associated with sight-seeing don’t operate on the same nocturnal time schedule, this can create some difficulties if you plan to party and see a few sights. Glad to be the bearer of good news your GTG is here  to reassure you that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Travel is also a surefire way to force yourself to let go as much as you possibly can. Once you surrender to the flow of time irregular, the worries disappear and you can focus on enjoying your trip. One thing to keep in mind is that this strategy does distinguish between two very different experiences; the experience of local hospitality, and the experience of a tourist. For this reason especially your GTG argues that the perfect trip will combine elements of both experiences. On another positive note this means you can be completely justified in spoiling yourself with a second visit to somewhere you just had to get a better look at.

For many travelers time management is one of the major complications of a trip alongside procuring the necessary funds. From what you do each day, when you start a trip, to organising the time off from work or study, time is a factor across all aspects of travel. With this in mind your GTG’s main tip of the day is to allow more time than you had expected to need wherever possible. Here your GTG is tempted to revert to the old gospel that the more prepared you are the more you can get done on your trip, for example

• delayed bus departures
• change in flight times
• unexpected errands
• emergencies
• changing your own plans
• natural disasters
• political changes

are all ways that the timing of your trip may be affected. So the main message at the end of the day is that time is worth considering in the planning of a trip and there are a great many benefits to be gained. Well on that note, it’s lovely to be back in the blogosphere and until next week.