When Places Don't Live Up To Our Expectations

When my family and I started planning on our first trip back to our native country, Argentina, we didn’t know what to expect. Maybe we did know, or maybe we had mixed expectations… I did, at least. It was very easy for me and my sister to forget all the things we left behind and the things we were lucky enough to have here that we always took for granted, being able to walk to the neighbor’s house without being harassed by someone on the street or hanging out with our friends at the mall, etc. It was very easy for us to forget we came with absolutely nothing just like it was very easy to take for granted everything we were given in this country. Once I landed in Argentina and left that tiny, overcrowded, and unorganized airport, I immediately felt how far away from home we were. It was inevitable. I kept my mind open, though and I was always learning some new, whether it was good or bad, it showed me a different way to view the world. With that said, I listed a few things I learned on my first trip outside this little bubble that is North America.

• Things don’t work the same way they do in North America. People will bribe you, try to hurt you, steal from you, etc. and there is absolutely no one you can sue or complain to. The best way to prevent all this is to toughen up and be aware.
• Just because you’re a tourist, doesn’t mean you have priority over everyone else. It just means you have money and people will take advantage of that, your best bet is to try not to act so much like a tourist.
• Travel books will only show you the pretty places. Don’t resort on these! They’ll only raise your expectations, don’t expect to get the same picture once you get there.
• Keep your mind open, always. I found this to be the easiest way to enjoy my trip. Go to the urban areas, talk to random people, ride the bus, walk around the city when it’s freezing cold, get out of your comfort zone and you’ll find that some things are not as bad as we often think they are. Oh, and you’ll also learn to view things from a different perspective.
• Even if you go to the most expensive places, don’t expect to get the best service. Refer to the first two bullets.
• Don’t be so judgmental about the culture or the way people think. I found this to be one of the hardest things to do, until I realized that these people have probably never left their hometowns, they don’t have the same mindset I have, they haven’t lived what I’ve lived (and vice versa) and that’s fine, it’s one of those things that makes you learn about other cultures.
• Show appreciation and gratitude. In the end, when you come back home, think of all the things (material or non-material) you have and consider yourself lucky. Not everyone has the freedom we are able to have here, not everyone gets the respect we get here. Consider yourself lucky for having that job you hate so much, or for being able to have an education. There are millions of people out there who don’t have that opportunity to get an education or a decent job and it’s not because they have choose to live that way, it’s simply because some things are not granted as easy.

(Feel free to share your experience about a trip or place that didn’t live up to your expectations. I want to hear your story!)