About a year ago, I was headed to Italy to embark on my abroad adventure. To those of you who followed me, thank you! And to those who just like to read about travel or are planning on taking their own trip, you are in the right spot! I’ve compiled below a collection of my finest abroad advice, along with some new tips on how to handle seeing more than one museum a day… because you know when you get there, you’re going to want to take it all in instead of slowing down like a sensible traveler.
So without further ado, How to Handle Seeing More Than One Museum in a Day:
- You’re going to want to sit down for this. Literally, just rest your weary traveler’s feet and sit down for a hot minute. This serves a dual purpose: 1) it allows you to not run yourself thin after spending 3 hours in the Louvre and 2) it makes time for you to actually look at the things around you. I don’t mean the art, you’re going to see enough of that. I mean everything. There’s too much to take in, truly, but marching into museums and hoping to see and do everything will just leave you exhausted, overwhelmed, and irritated.
- Don’t let anyone else craft your experience. Not the guy selling discount tickets on a sketchy street or your best friend who you normally aim to please. To capitalize on your time away, there’s no option but to follow your own instincts even if that means you want to stare at the same statue for 5 hours while your friends are checking out Mona Lisa and traipsing around the halls. Just don’t let the pressure of what other people want to do cloud your own desires.
- This last point is obvious but if I’ve learned anything in college, it’s that repetition is sometimes the only way to make things really sink in: SOAK IT IN!Let the art move you. If it doesn’t, go buy a snack and people watch outside while other people look at art. No one’s making you go to these museums… but if you’re going to pay for admission, give it a try. Art has a way of sneaking up on us. It has a way of inspiring us. So let it.
Also, prepare for your travels by catching up on these:
- https://lindseybakken.com/2017/01/12/7-things-you-will-feel-before-going-abroad/
- https://lindseybakken.com/2017/03/15/perceptions-abroad/
- https://lindseybakken.com/2017/01/12/7-things-you-will-feel-before-going-abroad/
