TRAVEL

Traveling by the Seat of Your Pants

Give it a whirl and watch the magic unfold

Have you ever taken a trip without planning every single detail? I mean, truly just picked a place and said, “Let’s see what happens”?

I’m usually a planner. It’s what I do. I pick a place. I book the accommodations. I choose the activities. Because — hello, what if that snorkeling trip sells out and I don’t get to do it.

But there are times when I love to fly by the seat of my pants. When I just show up in my chosen place without any reservations and without any plans for what the days ahead might hold.

And some of these trips have been the best trips of my life.

Ultimately, it’s a giant rush to travel into the great unknown. And while it can lead to disaster (and I have plenty of those stories to share), it can also bring truly life-changing and memorable adventures to your doorstep.

And this is exactly what happened to me on one fantastic weekend several years ago.

A Trip to Nikko

When I first traipsed over to Japan many years ago, I found myself alone in a youth hostel in downtown Tokyo. I had a temporary work visa, very little money, and a backpack to my name.

But at the hostel, I met and befriended a fellow Canadian traveler. We‘ll call her Red on account of her long auburn locks. And given the two of us were new to the country and gainfully unemployed, we decided to take off for the weekend to a popular outdoor haven called Nikko.

Nikko is about a two-hour train ride north of Tokyo and is nestled in the mountains. It’s truly a stunning little city at the foot of Nikko National Park and nearby Lake Chuzenji. It’s most famous for its ornate shrines from the Toshogu-era. And it is one of the go-to destinations for Tokyo day-trippers to go and take in Autumn’s changing colors.

Red and I — neither having a lot of money — decided that we would just show up and find a nice park bench to sleep on once we arrived. Unfortunately we hadn’t accounted for the fact that Nikko is at elevation, with temperatures dipping dangerously close to freezing in the Fall.

Nikko’s chilly reception made the idea of sleeping outside under the stars decidedly less appealing. So Red and I opted to go and find some food to give us the sustenance we needed to face the elements.

We found an inviting little Japanese ramen shop by the train station. It sported five stools. Three of these were taken by other Japanese locals. So, we grabbed the remaining two seats and ordered ramen, pot stickers and beer to tide us over.

And that’s when serendipity took over.

Because those three Japanese travelers started to talk to us. I answered in my very broken Japanese. We shared food and laughter. And when they found out we were going to sleep in the park — everything changed.

It turned out that the young man serving us behind the counter that night owned several apartments (or at least his family did). It also turns out that one of them just happened to be vacant.

So Red and I were offered free accommodation all to ourselves for the entire weekend.

The apartment was clean and quiet and was even stocked with some food for us. And it was in a fantastic location.

I was blown away. It was without a doubt one of those random acts of kindness that can only happen when you are in the right place, at the right time, with the right people.

We stayed for two nights and left the young man an omiyage (which is Japanese for a gift) when we returned to the restaurant with this key.

This chance encounter in a ramen shop allowed us to experience Nikko in a completely different way than we expected. And it was magical.

Serendipity and Travel

Our weekend trip away could have gone very differently for us.

We could have ended up freezing under the stars on a park bench at the foot of Lake Chuzenji.

We could have ended up sitting in cafes all night sipping Japanese tea and getting to know more of the locals.

We could have even ended up calling it a day and taking the train back to Tokyo.

And I would have welcomed any one of these adventures.

Why?

Because I had no expectations and no plans. In effect, everything was fair game. And every outcome was welcome.

Today, so much of our lives is planned. It’s constant. And very rarely do we allow ourselves to get outside of our comfort zone. I know my own routines and plans have become more rigid over the years.

But flying by the seat of your pants allows you to revel in the moment. It allows you to live in the present with zero expectations about what the future holds. It challenges us. It thrills us. It opens our minds.

And it forces us to trust ourselves a little bit more.

Parting Thoughts

Admittedly, this style of travel is not for everyone. And you need to stay safe. But if you have the stomach for it, traveling by the seat of your pants is a fantastic way to broaden your horizons and see the world.

So, give it a go. Live on the edge. Even if it is just for the day. Pick a spot and arrive with no plans. Figure it out as you go. You might just have one of your most brilliant adventures yet.

© Courtney Burry 2021

Looking for more travel adventures? Be sure to check out more of Courtney’s work here:

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