Digital Detox on the Go: Expectation VS Reality

Slow travel and digital detox! These buzzwords are going to be everywhere in 2018 so before you get bored of them here’s my Expectations vs Reality on travelling digiless.

When I planned my trip the plan was to do a little hike here, see a museum/castle there but mainly enjoy a few days off.. As Innsbruck looked compact, going digiless seemed perfect.

 

Expectation: I don’t use guidebooks too much, I prefer to research online and put together my own itinerary. But part of the magic was supposed to be to go around with a map and an old fashioned guidebook.

Reality: I was hit by this one quite early as it turns out there isn’t an Innsbruck guide. The best on offer was a regional guide so that idea went out the window. I ended up using a map and booklets from the tourist office and a charming folder my Airbnb host had prepared.

Expectation: Get a paper map and follow it travel nirvana.

Reality: The airport bus took 15 minutes to the centre, with the Airbnb a few minutes from there, meaning my first travel test felt a bit of a cheat.

Still it CAN go wrong and one CAN walk past the ski lift entrance. In my defence, my digiless experiment in asking a kind local for directions was a terrible mistake.  Getting lost was actually ok as I got to talk practice my German and talk to people but it did almost cost me my relationship.

Hiking trails are beautiful, relaxing and some of my favourite places. BUT the sign posts are open to interpretation, which may have resulted in going down the wrong side of a mountain.

Expectation: Getting my Warhol on and snapping some magical Polaroids while on the go.

Reality: Well that magic was lost soon when it proved too cloudy atop the mountain and you actually can’t get the gorgeous landscape in frame. Thank God I was with a sane person who did bring a DIGITAL camera.

Expectation: Just go with the flow and see where you end up foodwise, why not ask a random person what their favourite place is or go where the locals seem to hang out.

Reality: I soon learned that you often need to book a table, I always forget that outside London this is essential, especially on Friday night. But I also learned that the most touristy spot in town that I would usually avoid actually had the best kaesespaetzle that has ever melted on my tongue.

Expectation: Who needs planning and getting travel tickets booked ahead of time? Why not spontaneously head down to the station and see what the lovely ticket office staff have to offer?

Reality: So many reasons why not! But guys … you can’t blame me for wanting to do Before Midnight and get on a train to anywhere but without booking it online weeks ahead I could barely afford 3 stops. Wait for me Ethan!

Expectation: Have a old fashioned notebook with scribbles of my adventures (and of course the perfect spot for accompanying Polaroids)

Reality: This is actually a great one … until I remembered I am missing the creative gene. And now I’m left with a notebook that’s 3/4 empty filed with handwriting that turns indecipherable after 3 sentences.

Conclusion: It isn’t that hard, it’s just a switch that needs turning off.

I’m not on Instagram or Twitter too much, so going digiless isn’t a giant step but I love the idea of doing it as much as possible, even if it doesn’t always work out as expected. However, I will say, there’s something about walking around London using memory, logic and landmarks to find my way. It’s somehow less draining (on my brain and phone battery) than following whatever Google maps has to say, so give it a try!

Where do you think going digiless would work.