Shin-Green KMU International Business School 23 (College of Business Administration)

During the summer, my family, my mom, dad, older sister, and I went on our first trip to Europe. Though excited, we were also nervous. At first, my family considered a package tour, but decided against it due to the high cost, limited flexibility, and lots of shopping stops. Therefore, we chose to travel on our own, despite some challenges. Planning the trip was mainly done by my sister and me because it was difficult for my parents to find information.

While we are not planners, thanks to my father who is addicted to planning, we tried our best to check precisely in detail. Also, we wanted to let them have a good memory since it was their first time traveling to Europe. We spent around two weeks traveling through France, Switzerland, and Italy. When our family first set the goal to travel by ourselves, what my dad brought was a tour guidebook.

When we first saw it, my sister and I responded like “Dad, tons of information are on the internet already.”, but it was our big mistake. The book actually helped us a lot. It had a daily itinerary for each country's trip, things to be aware of, and even had a list of hotels and restaurant recommendations. We referenced the book throughout the planning and took it with us when we went on trips.

For those uncertain about planning, I highly recommend using a guidebook alongside online resources. After gathering information, organizing it effectively is crucial for efficient travel. My family found it challenging to keep all the plans in our heads and recognized that schedules would likely change during travel.

To manage this, we used a large piece of paper to write down and modify our plans, which allowed everyone to see and change. We then finalized the details using Google Maps. Using Google Maps for planning was also beneficial. It’s helpful to have everything mapped out because searching for locations while traveling, especially in a foreign language, can be frustrating and time consuming. Planning on a map that directs you to locations with a click saves time and energy.

Europe is known for its famous art museums, historical sites, and cathedrals, so making online reservations is essential. Without reservations, you waste hours in lines, especially in peak season. This can be exhausting for all the traveling members, so planning and reserving in advance is highly recommended. And after making a reservation, the next step is to share it with all the people who you travel with so that everyone can have it. What my sister and I did was to upload all the tickets to the notice in our group chat room.

This helped us when we entered the place because everyone\ could show the tickets quickly. We printed out all the tickets just in case, but all of them were able to enter only with the PDF tickets on our phones. Upon arriving in Europe, our family faced new challenges, from navigating public transport to avoiding pickpockets. Also, it was essential to check our parents’ stamina due to the hot weather.

In this situation, buying a transportation-pass saves  time and energy, and makes you a more efficient tour guide. Plans can always be changed while on a trip and searching for new information on the spot can save time. In such cases, asking local people, station staff, or store employees for directions or help can be more effective than relying solely on the internet. Most people are friendly and willing to help travelers, even if there are language barriers.

Don’t be afraid to ask! It builds confidence and often leads to quicker solutions. One of the best moments that my family liked on our trip was experiencing local foods and visiting places frequented by locals. It gave us a sense of people’s lives in that country. I strongly encourage you guys to visit local markets and restaurants to experience the culture more authentically. Looking back on our journey, I realized that communication with travel members was the most important part.

Parents, especially, may feel challenged to use smartphones for finding information, so it’s important to guide them patiently. Sharing the day's experiences, pros and cons can also enhance the travel experience for everyone. Since even I passed out by the end of the day, it is important to consider that parents must have felt even more tired, given the physical demands of travel. Keeping everyone informed during traveling about the day’s schedule, directions, and transportation plans helps everyone be on the same page and leads to a more enjoyable experience.

Travel is not just about seeing new places but also about understanding how people live in different countries. And interestingly in the end, the way people live, want, admire, love seems similar than we expect. Travel brings me to see that each life is just a small part of a much larger world, but also teaches that this small life still has a solid value. It lets us leave a mark all around the world, engage with strangers, and experience a culture firsthand.

Above all, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to travel and spend quality time with people who I love unconditionally. I believe all of these processes and emotions can lead to the best trip. I hope this writing inspires THE KOOKMIN REVIEW’s readers to encourage on new journeys and discover oneselves.

Now, where should I go next?