Enjoy Your Travel, Don’t Just Instagram It

I’m sure you’ve seen it. You are at a tourist destination and everyone has their cell phones out, taking photos. Have they even looked at the sights besides looking at them on the screen?

Researchers and those who study travel trends have found that people are focusing more on recording their journeys than enjoying them in the moment. You are more likely to see a tourist holding a selfie stick so that they can take a picture of themselves beside the Lincoln Memorial than actually looking at the amazing structure in person.

On a recent trip to New York City, I took a number of photos as I walked. They were of things that were of interest to me and I planned to share them when I got home. *Travel tip* don’t share your vacation pics in real time. This tips off burglars that you aren’t at home.

I got off the subway near the Museum of Modern Art and took a picture of the sign before I stood in line. I watched two girls with selfie sticks taking pictures of themselves with MoMA in the background. Once admitted, I began my race. To be sure I’d remember who painted what, I took a pic of the art and then the card with the artist’s name next to it. I raced around taking pictures like that for about an hour. Then I stopped for a coffee. The museum was very crowded, but I was able to sit down in one of the cafes.

As I sat, I looked through the photos on my cell phone. I slid them back and forth, reading the artists’ names and studying the works that I’d photographed. That’s when it really hit me. I had seen, or at least taken a picture of, an incredible painting by Jackson Pollack. I didn’t even remember seeing it. I was so busy documenting my trip to share with others that I wasn’t enjoying it for myself.

When I finished my coffee, I put my cell phone into my pocket and wandered a bit. That’s when I saw it. There was quite a crowd, but you still couldn’t miss it. Van Gogh’s Starry Night was hanging innocently on a wall, commanding the attention of everyone around it. I joined the throng of people. None of us was taking pictures. We were all simply taking in the incredible detail. To see the actual brushstrokes and textures in the paint was breathtaking. After about five minutes, I took a photograph. Just one. Not a selfie, just a simple photograph to prompt me to remember the details that a picture cannot capture.

I look back at that picture and I really FEEL something. I remember appreciating the talent of Van Gogh. I remember his brushstrokes in bold colors, built up into an amazingly vivid image. The memory is worth a lot more than the picture.

Travel and enjoy it. Look around you. Appreciate what you are seeing. Then take a photo or two for remembrance. Take the picture to remind you of what it looked and felt like, not to take the place of the memory.