Everyday questions about "how to find authentic [insert topic of interest]" while traveling come across my desk. The reality is, the way we travel today is inauthentic from the start. Time constraints, budgets, basic needs, the internet, all factors into why there is no authentic travel in a two week vacation. But, does that mean you should not travel to see and learn about the world? Absolutely not! Travel is a tool everyone should use to understand and learn about this world. Here are a few ways to use travel to deepen your understanding of this planet.
Seek Out Cultural Immersions
Guilty as charged, I love a good cultural immersion. Learning about a way of life different from my own invigorates me. I'm fascinated by the way others live, eat, and make sense of the world around them. Sometimes the details are subtle, nuanced difference and at times, those differences are monumental. Yet, when you travel, seeing behind the curtain is not easily done.
Our lives are private, but cultural immersions are a great way to learn about a place and people while you travel. Yes, some cultural immersions are a curated show, where they dress up and play to roll, but that doesn't mean you won't learn from the experience. You should not avoid a curated immersion if you are interested in the topic, you will learn something if you keep your eyes and ears open. Remember, the whole goal of traveling is to expose yourself to something different so you can go home with a new understanding of this world.
Interact With The Locals, Not Just In a City
Interacting with locals provides a filter to the place you are traveling, showcasing the way locals think, see the world, and interact with each other. However, unless you spend an absorbent amount of time switching from local to local, your perspective will be skewed based on the handful of local views. Everyone you interact with will have a different perspective, so it's important to seek out people from different social economic status, age, diversity, political views, and place. I can promise you the way a farmer sees the world versus a city-dweller will be vastly different.
If you are bold enough, ask a stranger to share a meal, or a cup of coffee. Better yet, strike up a conversation with a person in a park, or out on a hike. Ask questions and listen. The key is to listen without comparison to your own life. Listen to the local share their experience and try to walk in their shoes while you travel.
Give Yourself Time
Time is your enemy when you travel. Cramming a lot into a little time window is the reality of traveling, but the longer you have to immerse yourself into a culture or a place, the more you can learn. For example, I cycled around the South Island of New Zealand for two months just after a college, which is a long time, and was exposed to the generosity of the Kiwis. Often taken into their homes and offered a bed, or couch, to sleep on. Shared meals, exposed to sheep herding with dogs from a farmer, ate my first marmalade, learned about native folklore, and learned about jade necklaces.
When you give yourself time to interact with locals as you travel, you'll learn that authenticity is not something you seek while you travel. Authenticity is always around you, you just have to be open to learning and interacting with the place you travel.