I have been traveling for over half a year now, and seeing many cultures, I can tell especially how much they can differ even if the countries are right next to each other. At the start of traveling, it felt like I would be in the same kind of place for three months, but to my surprise, even after a few hour’s drive, the place you’re in can be way different compared to the last and even seem like a whole new world.
Wealthy cities vs. poor cities
Like I said earlier, cultures can change even if you’re in the same country or even city. For example, in Italy, even though northern Italian cities such as Milan or Florence can seem wealthy and modernized, if you head a few hours south, for instance in Naples, the place can feel poorer, especially in some residential districts where you could be surrounded by slums. Now don’t get me wrong, there are extremely nice and wealthy-looking areas in Naples and poorer areas, and that dramatic change makes Naples a city famous. From the local Milanese perspective, it seems like the further south you go in Italy, the more the work ethic diminishes. This may be why the cities can seem poorer – and one more thing: this may cause fewer parking spaces. In other wealthier parts of Europe or Italy, you would generally see plenty of parking garages either underground or as structures, but in cities such as Naples, you hardly see any which can create traffic jams or bad parking (e.g. double parking). My favorite part of traveling so far has been things like these, getting to know different cultures and how they influence their country/region and finding their differences from cultures I’m familiar with.
Intriguing Foods
One of the main things I like doing when experiencing new cultures is trying out new foods and experiencing the local’s day-to-day lives and how they live, especially the food part. For example, Turkey had many intriguing foods that I had never seen/heard of before, such as Pide (Turkish Pizza), Köfte, and Manti, just to name a few. In every restaurant/place we went to, the food was freshly made from rolling out the dough to grilling the kebabs, and in some local places, we even observed them preparing it right in front of us! As the steam continuously rose from the kebabs and the juice soaked the pita bread, you knew that every bite would be even more delicious than the last.
Knowing that the food you were eating just came out of the oven sent hungry grumbles echoing through your stomach, always making the food taste better, thus giving a better experience. Even though you would sometimes stumble upon what you would think to be the best kebab place ever in some other country, any restaurant, even a cheap, local place in Turkey would make you think twice about what you had had before. The soft, moist meat, the crunch from the lettuce leaves, and even the hint of sourness from the lemon juice will make you instantly addicted and want to order for seconds. Next time you are traveling to a new country, I definitely recommend experiencing the local’s lives, especially when it comes to trying out new foods – be adventurous!
Although most people travel for vacation, hanging out in resorts and swimming in hotel pools is not the only fun there is. Exploring the city you are staying in and chatting with locals, even if it is a quick encounter in a local restaurant can brighten up your day, any day. The fun of traveling is to be adventurous and experience places outlandish and foreign to you, especially a country you have no clue the language of.
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