Travel: Plan or Improvisation

#Lonely - Akon

In my first travel, I had made the plan, searched on Google all information related to popular destinations, restaurants, streets, foods,… nearly everything that was recommended by experienced people. Even so detailed that the first day where to go, start at what time, how to go and next second day, third day,… until the end of day.

The first travel I went with my adopted mother to Da Nang – Hoi An, a nice place. My plan was after checking in hotel, we would rent bicycles and made a round Hoi An ancient town to see the sunset and have dinner near Hoai river to enjoy the night in town. However my mother was tired and she did not want to leave the bed so we slept and had noodle near hotel in the first day. The second day we went to island to dive and see the coral but she said that she was scared of sun light and told me go alone, of course I stayed with her but disappointed much because of missing a lot of destinations and foods but not be able to do nothing, her health was the most important.

The second time, I made plan to go with my close friend and sister. Because of cheap tickets so we accepted to go to beach at raining season. They say it is the raining season but you might meet lucky because there are often some sun days among raining days, just we did not know exactly which day would be sun. It´s a bet with the weather with fully hope to have some sun light. The plan was made for four days and rain started from the first without stopping. All things we could do that sleeping and eating pizza in room. I discussed and changed the plan to go another place but after checking the bus center said that the mountain was landslide due to monsoon, heavy rain so bus could not work and cancel until next day morning. The time for sleeping in hotel was more than going out. No need to say how I felt disappointed, we changed air tickets and left soon than plan. But it was not the end, my close friend complained me ¨why we booked this time, we did not go anywhere. It wasted time and money…¨. We argued each other slightly and almost not talked on the way from hotel to airport. Luckily, the flight delayed from 16:00PM to 22:00PM, it was long time enough to have to say something each other.

I have recently realized that travel is not important how many places need to visit, what food to try, how luxury hotel staying and which clothes to wear or how many likes for the picture posting on Facebook and Instagram. I prefer to walking on the street, chatting with some vendors about the life there, eating in the local food stores, even stay all day in the coffee shop to listen to music only. I don´t have any nice pictures with beautiful dress and fashion shoes, only wear sport clothes and shoes that make me comfortable and easy to move or take the picture with a smiling mouth and hair was sometimes not combed. Whatever weather is sunny or rainy, it is no matter anymore. Eat when feel hungry and go when want. How to get there and accommodation address are the things I care now, other things only for the reference, no plan for ¨List of the things have to do at least one time in the life¨.

There was one time, I traveled alone in the raining season, by chance sitting next to an American woman on the short train visiting Ceramic pagoda in Da Lat, after talking each other we realized that we were same, travelling alone and no plan for its. We had dinner together then to get a chance talking much and booked a same tour next day due to wanna be together again. It was quite fun, alone but the last having a lot of friends. After that trip, I always remember her as a good memory and make me happy anytime. Plan is sometimes like a rope that ties you tightly while improvisation sometimes brings unexpected thing and freedom.