Welcome to the One Checked Bag Newsletter. This newsletter is where I go a little deeper than the blog—less “what to see,” more “what it felt like,” what I’d do differently, and what actually matters when you’re on the road.

To set the stage, I’ll show up twice a month, on the 1st and 15th of each month, delivering valuable content, whether you are new to travel or are an experienced world traveler!

And please, give me your feedback! This is written for you!
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Thanks for joining me on this journey!

My Recent Trip to Europe

I chronicled our trip to Europe with my college-aged stepkids. Here are the links to my blog entries for each of our destinations:

​Paris​

​Rome​

​London​

As I mentioned in my blog posts, I wish we had more time in each location. But between college and my wife’s job, we only had 9 days (11 in total but 2 were lost to travel).

My stepson had not been to Europe before. He was promised tickets to a Chelsea match for his high school graduation, and here we were two years later and that promise was unfulfilled. So we definitely needed to go to London.

But he also wanted to visit Paris and Rome, so we really forced the itinerary to see all three.

Would I do it over again? I would, but only to accommodate his desired plans.

However, If it were just me and my wife, I would have limited our trip to Europe to only one or two of the destinations. But maybe not for the reasons you’d think.

First, a trip with several destinations can be both physically and emotionally draining with:

• Constant packing and unpacking
• Time consuming with hotel and airport logistics

Next thing you know, half a day is lost just traveling. This is time that could have been spent being immersed into the culture and history of the city…or just sitting at a cafe.

In fact, if my math is right, we lost 18 hours on this trip to inter-city travel.

Second, with each city you feel like there is a clock ticking wherever you are. It makes much of the experience feel superficial.

When you rush through the destination:

• You are unable to digest what you have just taken in, and
• Each site feels more like a box checked than a true experience.

And don’t get me started on the time wasted trying to follow Google Maps!

I would have loved to have spent more time at Notre-Dame, but we had to rush to Saint Chapelle to keep on schedule.

Yes, we saw a lot, but experienced little.

Three historic cities. Nine days.

It wasn’t enough.

Lastly, with every visit, every choice, and every decision, there is an opportunity cost. I regret not seeing Versailles. I wish I ate my way around Trastevere in Rome. I know, there is always “only so much time”, but this is even more true in a compressed timeframe in each city.

So if I could give you one piece of advice? Do less to experience more.

The Road Less Traveled

I have now been to Paris, Rome, and London multiple times. There are things I still want to see and experience in each of these cities, but I feel it is time to do something different during my next visit.

Instead of hitting the main attractions (again), I would like to get off the beaten path.

In both Paris and London, I really enjoyed the local markets that my stepdaughter researched and insisted we see. They were anything but touristy. They felt intimate and local.

Next time, I would like to take the train or a bus to other neighborhoods and cities. Just to walk around to see what the area is about. Hit up a cafe or pub, eat something unique, people watch from a bench in the park, or go into an art gallery.

I want to go where the crowds are not.

I’ll return to these cities soon, but my itinerary will be totally different.

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What’s in My Carry-on?

This trip, it wasn’t in my bag—it was in my hand.

Audible has become my go to travel companion.

This trip I listened to:

• Principles by Ray Dalio, and
• Atomic Habits by James Clear

I really don’t want to carry around a physical book when I travel and I find it difficult to read books on my Kindle App on my phone. Audible is so convenient.

But I have a problem. When I am listening to an audiobook, if I am engaged and interested, I can’t fall asleep. But when I read a physical book, I can’t keep my eyes open.

It causes a real dilemma when I would like to sleep on the flight. Something for me to figure out.

But on a sidenote, let me give you a quick thought on each of these books.

I’ve listened to Atomic Habits before. Honestly, this is a book better consumed by reading, rather than listening. There’s too much to act on. To merely listen and move on is doing this book a disservice.

In Principles, Ray Dalio’s insights and reflections are presented in a confident, honest, and humble manner. His principles, backed with stories of failures and victories, makes this a compelling book.

Both books are great. Read Atomic Habits and listen to Principles.

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Zipping it up…

I am really excited for the content I have coming over the next couple months. There are some great stories to be shared as well as three trips I have planned over the next five months.

I invite you to find me on my blog, Instagram, and Pinterest.

I’ll see you back here on the 15th.

If you enjoyed this, forward it to someone you’d travel with.

—Stephen

​www.onecheckedbag.com​

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