Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Speaker 1: Today's tip is to do your research about anything fun
Speaker 1: you have coming up. The more specifics you have to
Speaker 1: look forward to, and the more intentional you are about
Speaker 1: the experience, the more you will get out of it.
Speaker 1: Many of us have stayed close to home for the
Speaker 1: last year and a half for obvious reasons, but maybe,
Speaker 1: just maybe, you have a trip coming up. If so,
Speaker 1: a little prep work and dreaming can help you make
Speaker 1: the most of your travels. So find ways to immerse
Speaker 1: yourself in the place you will visit. Watch movies set
Speaker 1: in that place, cook dishes associated with the place, or
Speaker 1: go to restaurants featuring that cuisine. Invest some time in
Speaker 1: planning what you will do on your visit. Get a
Speaker 1: guide book, ask friends for recommendations, and use social media
Speaker 1: to crowdsource ideas. Pull up a map online and figure
Speaker 1: out what sites are located near each other. Find out
Speaker 1: when the places you want to go are open and
Speaker 1: whether you need tickets or reservations. Then, using what you know,
Speaker 1: work with your traveling companions to draft loose plans for
Speaker 1: how you will spend each day. No, you don't have
Speaker 1: to plan every minute, but one or two anchor events
Speaker 1: a day can let you be sure you'll do the
Speaker 1: good stuff while leaving space for serendipity. Even if you'll
Speaker 1: just have an afternoon free in a new city while
Speaker 1: you are there for work, you can still do your
Speaker 1: research and make a rough plan. You will see a
Speaker 1: lot more of the city when you know what is
Speaker 1: worth looking for, then you will if you just wander
Speaker 1: out of your hotel in hopes of encountering something interesting.
Speaker 1: I mean, it is entirely possible you will find something cool,
Speaker 1: but you would also hate to find out after wandering
Speaker 1: around a few not so interesting streets that the city's
Speaker 1: most iconic park was only two blocks in the other direction.
Speaker 1: Research can enhance the enjoyment of local adventures too. For instance,
Speaker 1: if you are going to a local art museum, find
Speaker 1: out about their art on their website. What do you
Speaker 1: want to be sure not to miss? If you'll see
Speaker 1: an exhibit about a specific artist or school, get a
Speaker 1: book from the library or watch a documentary to provide
Speaker 1: context for their work. Or maybe you're going to a
Speaker 1: restaurant you've never been to before. Read a few reviews
Speaker 1: to see what dishes the restaurant is known for. Check
Speaker 1: out the menu online. After reading the descriptions and looking
Speaker 1: at any photos, what dishes capture your attention, You can
Speaker 1: always change your order. Doing research doesn't mean you are
Speaker 1: tied to anything, but it is fun to think about
Speaker 1: the world famous lasagna in the days leading up to
Speaker 1: your treat. Even family get togethers can benefit from a
Speaker 1: little prep because that will let you spend your family
Speaker 1: time more mindfully. Peruse a photo album with your kids
Speaker 1: and reminisce about your memories of the relatives you'll see.
Speaker 1: This can help direct your conversations and make the experience
Speaker 1: more meaningful. Do you have a high school reunion coming up,
Speaker 1: Post some photos or memories on your class Facebook page
Speaker 1: and let the fund begin. With any luck, people you
Speaker 1: want to see will reach out to you, and you
Speaker 1: will make sure that you catch up a much better
Speaker 1: outcome then realizing someone you had really hoped to see
Speaker 1: was there but on the other side of the room.
Speaker 1: When you do a little research or prep in advance,
Speaker 1: you increase the intensity of your anticipation of something special.
Speaker 1: You stretch out the fun, and most likely you will
Speaker 1: enjoy the experience more because you'll know you're making good
Speaker 1: choices with your time. In the meantime, this is Laura.
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.
Speaker 1: You can send me tips, your questions, or anything else.
Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at
Speaker 1: Before Breakfast pod. That's b E the number four, then
Speaker 1: Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an
Speaker 1: email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot
Speaker 1: com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.
Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. For
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Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
Speaker 1: favorite shows.