While traveling, you must search for problems

Situations must deviate from the script so that there's a story, something extraordinary

Today, this newsletter turns one year old. It's an extraordinary moment. This is the only personal project that has lasted this long. And No Direction Home continues with the aim of being a reference for those seeking a more flexible life. If you think the weekly content is interesting, you can help me in two ways: by sharing it with your friends or by switching to a paid subscription.

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Planning is essential to avoid significant headaches during a trip. Accommodation, transportation, and the cost of living in the area are crucial things to know beforehand.

However, this week's edition argues that some things should go wrong on your trip. That you deliberately seek out problems.

I decided to travel on the first day of the year, to start the year traveling. Not that I need to attract trips, but some symbols are important.

I didn't expect that arriving in Uruguay on the first day of the year would be chaotic. There was no Uber, taxi, public transportation, or Uruguayan willing to take me to my Airbnb. For a moment, I thought of Tom Hanks and almost searched on Google "how to sleep in the airport”.

After nearly an hour and a half in the taxi line, the guy in front of me asked if I was alone and if I was up for splitting the fare. I accepted the invitation instantly. And his hotel was close to mine. Lucky day!

Endless line

He was a 32-year-old Canadian nuclear engineer who took a three-month sabbatical and is going to ride a motorcycle to Ushuaia, then cross over to Antarctica. I work in environmental journalism, and we had a great conversation about energy transition and clean energies —I even found out that Trudeau's popularity isn't doing so well, which I confirmed on this site.

A pleasant surprise that made me think: there was some meaning in all of this. And then I had a little story to tell family and friends who asked if I had arrived safely. Otherwise, it would have just been a "yes, I arrived safely."

Situations must deviate from the script so that there's a story, something extraordinary. I'm not advocating for drunkenly swimming in a lake or missing your flight the next day. But what didn't you think you could do on a trip when the opportunity arose? Or what crazy desire do you have (like my desire to travel on the first day of the year)?

The laughter after the misfortunes should be greater than the stress, or all I'm writing is worthless. Getting on the road in epic traffic "just to have a good story" will probably make you bitterly regret every minute stuck in the same place. If you can avoid the traffic and travel the next day, do that.

It's also worth noting that everyone has their own standard for exciting stories. A reader might find my taxi story boring, but I'm a journalist who enjoys hearing stories and understanding how the world works.

As someone in a perpetual state of displacement, I must constantly seek out problems (stories). Because even this life can become mundane. As I wrote once, I miss traveling. I must continually remember that I'm fulfilling my 2020 and 2021 dreams when I couldn't stand staying home during the pandemic.

What memorable travel problem do you still remember?