23 Times the Little Things Were the Best Part of Traveling

True to my own personal mission to stop and appreciate the small, often unexpected things in life while everything is go-go-go, today I’d like to share a few highlights over the years from traveling.

It’s all of the things you wouldn’t necessarily read in the guidebooks. The best moments of traveling (and life, really) are often those we could easily miss if we’re not paying attention. (Thanks, Ferris Bueller.)

While the gorgeous scenery, the bucket-list landmarks, and the stamp in the passport are all great, this other stuff is what I remember the most.

This is by no means a complete list. I could probably come up with 2300 examples from over the years if I really tried (I won’t). Read on to learn more about why it’s always good to stop and smell those proverbial roses while traveling, and hopefully you’ll remember some of your own favorite moments along the way.

The (first, and probably not last) List

In no particular order, a random sampling:

Singing along to The Sound of Music soundtrack…while traveling through the mountains of Austria. (No shame.)
Having great conversations with random strangers while on a solo trip in Asheville, NC.
Coming up with a slew of random inside jokes while on vacations with my family.
That first “OMG, I’m in Europe!” moment of realization in Germany. (I didn’t really say “OMG.” But you get the idea.)
And then, seven years later: a German customs officer seeing my old student visa sticker in my passport, and saying, “Welcome back.”
Discovering a little sandwich place on a side street in Orvieto, Italy, where the background music was chill covers of popular songs.
Eating the best Nutella banana crêpe I’ve ever had while standing with some friends outside of a train station in Stuttgart.
Getting a seat row to myself on a four-hour train ride in Central Europe.
Irish step dancing on St. Patrick’s Day in an Irish pub. (An Irish pub in Germany, by the way.)
Finding an early edition of a Nancy Drew book in a rural Pennsylvania bookstore.
The still-unknown decent human in Bregenz, Austria, who returned the wallet I lost on a night train. (Note: always, always, always double-check before you leave the train!)
Walking across London’s Tower Bridge at night with my family.
A lady in a shop telling me I had a “really strong aura” (whatever that means).
A porch in Nashville with friends, coffee, and sunshine.
Violin music on a street in Vienna.
Eating ice cream on the beach in Siesta Key, Florida, when I was done with my workday on a business trip. (To this day, it’s one of my favorite beaches in the world.)
Riding a bike around an Austrian lake.
Getting on the earlier flight, rather than the delayed one that would have gotten me home at 11:00 p.m.
Sitting on a balcony in Umbria, Italy, while piecing together the Italian words to communicate with my no-longer-long-lost cousin.
Not a small thing, but it made me appreciate all the little things I took for granted: On two separate occasions, years apart, meeting refugees from various countries who had started rebuilding their lives in Austria, and who were some of the strongest, most positive people I’ve ever met.
Sitting on a wall along the Limmat River in Zürich on the last evening of my European study abroad adventure, writing in a journal reflecting on the past seven months.
On a lighter note: laughing with my cousin in the backseat of a tiny Italian car backing downhill on a narrow street in Assisi, while the two Italians in the front seat cursed and bickered about the road being closed. Oh, and the soundtrack to this little adventure was Johnny Cash.
Last, but most definitely not least, inadvertently crashing a wine establishment’s 20th anniversary party in rural Austria. (Yes, I will write about this in more detail someday.)

Confession: I lied about the “no particular order” thing, since those last few are some of my favorites. Often the best moments involved other people, but there are also several solo moments I appreciated and enjoyed. Either way, the list could go on.

As it should.

Sharing travel stories is always entertaining and/or inspiring. Comment below to share your own random moments of appreciating the unexpected small stuff while traveling!