“Welcome to Ireland, sir,” the portly customs agent said as he scanned my passport. “Where will you be staying during your trip?”
“I don’t know. Probably a hostel.”
“Okay… What cities will you be visiting?”
“I haven’t decided yet, but probably the big ones.”
“Do you have any friends or family in the country? Or anyone that you know?”
“Nope.”
I had arrived in Dublin Airport with a backpack of clothes and books, $10 in my pocket, and no plans of any kind. The closest thing I had to a schedule was my flight back to the States, but that was ten days away and far from my mind. My return ticket was the only reason I was allowed into the country, though – apparently they don’t get many tourists without reservations and itineraries.
I’ve long held the belief that concrete plans are nothing more than obstacles that prevent you from having a good time. Whether I’m backpacking through Ireland or embarking on a weekend road trip, I never make a solid itinerary. Beyond a list of things I want to see or do, I let fate lead me around and it’s never failed to give me interesting and memorable adventures.
If you’re skeptical about the magic of spontaneous living, here are some things to consider:
1) Spontaneity lets you change your mind.
When I bought my tickets to Ireland, everybody told me to kiss the Blarney Stone. It seemed like an inherently Irish thing to do at the time, but once I showed up in Cork I realized that Blarney Castle is the biggest tourist trap in the country. You have to pay to walk onto the castle grounds, pay to kiss the stone, and pay to get your picture taken.
I took the bus to Cork with a Swiss girl I met in Dublin and instead of seeing the Blarney Stone we explored Cork and its surrounding hills. It was free, gorgeous, and better than any tourist destination. People who had to visit the castle were paying money to be disappointed – my lack of planning saved me money and that underwhelming sensation of overhyped travel destinations.
Back at the hostel, I talked to a couple from the United States and two kids from Paris. Each of them had detailed schedules for the next day – “The Lonely Planet says to go here! WikiTravel recommended this restaurant!”
They asked me where I was going tomorrow. I still wasn’t sure if I would stay in Cork or hop on a bus and head northwest. When I told them my standard travel respond (“I haven’t decided yet.”) they just gave me blank stares.
2) Spontaneity lets you find and explore something you love.
When I took the bus form Galway to Giant’s Causeway, I had to change buses in a small city called Londonderry. I wasn’t excited. It looked like a fairly dull city, so I planned to grab a bite to eat and hop back onto a bus.
When I pulled up to the bus station, though, I was blown away by the city. The city centre is surrounded by centuries-old stone walls, perched on the side of the lovely River Foyle and filled with beautiful building and friendly people. I walked around for hours and missed the last bus of the day.
“Crap.”
I checked with all the hostels in the city – they were all full. I finally got a hold of the manager of the local Paddy’s Palace Hostel. I asked her if there was anything she could do.
“Sure! Just swing by and you can crash on a couch.”
For about £10, I was able to sleep in a hostel that was fully-booked. I ended up partying with a bus tour of Australian and New Zealand travellers – we had a BBQ in the backyard and went pubbing at a local bar. I had no intention of even seeing Londonderry, and five hours later I was dancing to live Irish music and talking to an Aussie guy whose was a sheep sheerer as a career back home.
If you’re ever in Ireland, visit Londonderry. It might be as big or famous as Dublin or Belfast, but it is undoubtedly my favourite city on the island. If I had made reservations or followed a strict schedule, I would have missed it completely.
3) Spontaneity is more exciting.
When I finally got to Giant’s Causeway, I decided to spend my day walking along the cliffs. This led to getting caught in a ferocious rain and almost falling off a cliff.
When I went to Belfast, I wandered around the Protestant neighbourhoods wearing an Ireland jacket (for those of you unfamiliar with the Troubles, that’s like wearing a pro-Israel shirt through Palestine). I didn’t plan it that way – the street looked interesting, so I walked down it. Next you I knew, I was surrounded by British flags and Queen Elizabeth murals and strangers kept glaring at me. When the sun set, the drunks yelled at me so much I had to take off the jacket and hold it under my arm.
Spontaneity ensures that you won’t have a vanilla moment. You won’t be chauffeured from tourist trap to tourist trap, buying useless trinkets and taking boring photos. You’ll be forging your own way, exploring new places, meeting new people, and making it all up as you go.
What’s not exciting about that?
4) Spontaneity is more peaceful.
Yes, you’re going to have adventure when you live spontaneously. But you’re also going to find moments of absolute tranquillity. Because you travel according to your own feelings, you have the leeway to take a day off and move slowly.
On my last day in Dublin, I was walking back from Phoenix Park and stumbled upon Collins Barracks, an old military garrison that is now part of the National Museum of Ireland. It had free admission, so I walked in on a whim and started wandering around.
It was a Sunday afternoon, so the museum was empty. I wandered into a small exhibition of ancient Buddhist tapestries and fell in love with the collection. I spent the entire afternoon in that one room, studying the tapestries and reading about their history. It was just me and Damien Rice on my iPod – I didn’t even notice as the hours flew past.
If I had planned my trip out in advance, I would have never seen those tapestries. I would have never spent those peaceful hours in the museum. I would have been hopping on buses, racing to get to museums and shops before they closed. I would have stressed out about getting pictures of everything before my flight left.
Instead, I had the most peaceful afternoon of my life.
I’m notorious for my inability to make plans. I decide things on the fly and it always seems to work out. Some people couldn’t imagine visiting a foreign country without a plan, a guidebook, or even a map, but it’s the only way I know to travel.
Whether you’re visiting a foreign country or just planning what to do this weekend, remember that at a certain point plans need to fly out the window and we need to live in the moment. Do what you want to do when you want to do it – everything else will sort itself out.
