If you want to get the most out of your time, understand and adjust to a place/ culture - get acquainted with the locals!
My favourite travel spots became favourites simply because I was connected with a local. They know the best sights, activities, events and most importantly (to me at least), they know the best food! Sure, guidebooks can point you in the right direction for these things, but they won't enrich your experience the way a local can.
You can meet locals anywhere by chance, through your accommodation or on various meetup sights, like CouchSurfing. If you are open to conversations and going into places that aren't touristic, you are likely to make some local friends. It is as simple as that! There is a high chance they are intrigued by you and will start the conversation anyway, all you need to do is take the first step... into that cafe where you can't read the menu? Yeah, that one!
Of course, it does help if you try learning the basics of the local language. You are likely to meet people easier. I had so much fun practicing my spanish the first day I arrived in Barcelona! I decided to hang at the beach for the afternoon and this attracted 3 different conversations with some friendly locals.
I was actually a bit worried about going to Barcelona with my non-existant Catalan and my basic South American Spanish. Majority of Barcelona spoke proficient English, so it was not difficult to be understood, but when I had the opportunity to practice spanish with a local, I did. Interestingly enough, the longest and most fluent conversation on my trip was at 4:30am with my taxi driver on the way to the airport! Such a rewarding feeling!
My advice is to just get in there and give it a go. Meet all the locals you can, when and where you can- these are moments that will stick with you and help you develop an understanding of other peoples lives and countries. This in turn, will teach you to be grateful for your own.
My favourite travel spots became favourites simply because I was connected with a local. They know the best sights, activities, events and most importantly (to me at least), they know the best food! Sure, guidebooks can point you in the right direction for these things, but they won't enrich your experience the way a local can.
You can meet locals anywhere by chance, through your accommodation or on various meetup sights, like CouchSurfing. If you are open to conversations and going into places that aren't touristic, you are likely to make some local friends. It is as simple as that! There is a high chance they are intrigued by you and will start the conversation anyway, all you need to do is take the first step... into that cafe where you can't read the menu? Yeah, that one!
Of course, it does help if you try learning the basics of the local language. You are likely to meet people easier. I had so much fun practicing my spanish the first day I arrived in Barcelona! I decided to hang at the beach for the afternoon and this attracted 3 different conversations with some friendly locals.
I was actually a bit worried about going to Barcelona with my non-existant Catalan and my basic South American Spanish. Majority of Barcelona spoke proficient English, so it was not difficult to be understood, but when I had the opportunity to practice spanish with a local, I did. Interestingly enough, the longest and most fluent conversation on my trip was at 4:30am with my taxi driver on the way to the airport! Such a rewarding feeling!
My advice is to just get in there and give it a go. Meet all the locals you can, when and where you can- these are moments that will stick with you and help you develop an understanding of other peoples lives and countries. This in turn, will teach you to be grateful for your own.
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