Why are you going back there? You’ve been there so much. Don’t you want to go somewhere else?
Have you gotten this question before when you’re telling someone that you are going on a trip, but it’s not a trip to somewhere new? It’s interesting how people will react when you tell someone that you are going to visit somewhere you’ve been a handful of times. Though sometimes they won’t really care. Other times, some will have very strong opinions.
When I lived in Germany, I did go to a few places multiple times. I’d go to Berlin almost every August for their beer festival. September would be a trip to Brussels for their beer festival. No, there isn’t a trip to Munich for their beer festival, though I did go to Munich for Mexican a few times. Heck, other than the beer festival, Mexican was the other reason I went to Berlin. Stuttgart was not known for good Mexican food.
Why go back to somewhere you’ve already been?
I just took a trip to New Orleans last month, and before I even got to my seat on the plane, I knew I wanted to come back. Why? First, traveling somewhere when the weather is so humid that you have to take multiple showers probably means you aren’t really able to enjoy the place like you might want. Second, there is so much more to see, eat, and experience. Last, you just want to enjoy it at a different time in the year. I was able to get a feel for a few areas, but I wanted to see more and talk to more people. I normally leave a place feeling happy that I came and I don’t worry too much about what I didn’t get to see and do. This time, I knew there were several restaurants I couldn’t make time for. I wanted to try some more beignets from several more places, and I wanted to get an oyster po’boy. Though I’d take any other type of po’boy too.
When I look at my trips in Germany, my reason for returning to Berlin and Brussels so much wasn’t just the beer festivals, but the atmosphere, or nowadays, the vibe. It was nice going somewhere that felt different. Not that I wanted to live there, but that I just wanted a change of pace. That’s reason enough to go back.
Yes, you should go and explore new places too, but there are moments when you just want to have that other place that makes you want to see more and learn more. You don’t have to give in to the pressure of always going somewhere new.
When shouldn’t you return to a place?
Did you get to see everything you wanted? I’ve been to several places in Florida, but it doesn’t have that same pull for me. It’s not somewhere I need to go back to. Just like how I would go to Berlin and Brussels for the vibe. If a place doesn’t have that vibe, why go back there? I also have a hard time justifying a return trip to do it differently. I took a trip to the United Kingdom, where my friends and I did a road trip up to Scotland. We drove through the highlands, stayed in a lovely house, and experienced a lot of cool things. There were probably things that we might have missed. My friend and I went into a shop and mentioned to the shop owner where we went and what we did. His reaction was, “Here’s a guidebook; make time to come back and do it this way.” My friend and I both thought it was an interesting thing to say to us. We, however, had no problem with what we did. None of my friends thought we did it wrong. Sometimes redoing a trip isn’t a strong reason to return somewhere.
You also have to take cost into account. Traveling to certain places can be expensive too. Last year, I went to Ghana. It was an amazing trip. Would I go back again? Yes, absolutely, but not anytime soon. That trip cost me so much that the memories and feelings of going there are enough to last me a long time.
I nearly made the same mistake with Bruges. My friend and I only had a night there, then walked around a little the following day. It didn’t have any charm or anything attractive about it. I thought maybe I just needed to go back and do it again. In looking back, I don’t think that is a useful reason. Sometimes your first thought is the right one. Go with that instinct; you’re probably feeling the right thing.
Not every trip has to be somewhere new. Sometimes it’s the vibe pulling you back, like Berlin or Brussels. Sometimes a place just isn’t done with you yet. New Orleans isn’t done with me. I still haven’t had that oyster po’boy.
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