by Erin

Have you ever been to a party and found out too late that you were not dressed appropriately?  You are either dressed up too much or are not fancy enough… it’s enough to throw you off your game for the entire night.  Sometimes, just dressing the part makes you feel more comfortable and makes you feel like you fit in.

We have found that one of the most fun parts of travel is donning the garb of the locals!   And not just grabbing a hat for a picture, but really dressing the part!  Like each of the four times we have brought a group to India, one evening is spent dining at a local home wearing sarees, bangles and henna.  We are dressed by experts so we are sure to wrap them the right way, and it is just such a fun experience to look truly local.  Also, you get an instant souvenir (but have to figure out when you get home just how to wrap it correctly on your own).

If the opportunity doesn’t always present itself on land, you make your own party on a ship and dress local.  Each time we are in Greece, we strip the bed, wrap ourselves up in sheets and host a toga party!  The cabin stewards may not appreciate the party as much as we do, but we sure know how to make an entrance into the dining room with a crowd clothed in sheets!

And if all else fails and you don’t have the time to match your outfit to the locals, just figure out what it is that makes them unique and copy them in any way that you can!

by Erin

One of the reasons we travel is to see different cultures, meet different people, eat different food and experience different customs.  If you are not willing to do any of those things, you might as well stay home.  

In some destinations, the only thing giving up the fact that we are tourists is that we are traveling everywhere in a group, following a sign, wearing tennis shoes and walking with our cameras up and taking pictures of everything – besides that, we look like everyone that surrounds us.  In other places, we stick out even more, standing out in a crowd, clearly announcing that we are not from here and not quite fitting in.  But in the latter instance, I have always felt welcomed with friendly locals greeting us, showing us something that is unique to their culture or practicing their English with us.

I find that one of the most rewarding parts of travel is people watching and interacting with those that we are visiting.  I encourage others to say hello, not shying away from the fact that we are different or do not speak the same language, but rather trying to find our similarities with creative communication.

I’ve also found that the less we look like the locals, the more they want to take pictures of us and with us.  Walking around China and India, a group of white Americans stood out and we were virtual celebrities in certain places where the locals are not use to seeing foreigners.

So when you are traveling, don’t be shy and hide behind your camera – jump in the picture, make a new friend, interact with the locals and make a memory in a new country!