Have you ever started to plan a trip and had a tug-o-war between a familiar place and a new spot?
Jardin de Tuileries, Paris
At the end of every trip I always think, “I need to come back here, we didn’t even scratch the surface.” And, yet, when a new opportunity rolls around, it’s hard for me to say no to the shiny new adventure. It can be easy to get into the mindset that more or newer is better, but that's not always true with life or travel. The more I travel, the more I believe that travel is much less about seeing places than it is about experiencing places.
Is Paris always a good idea? In my experience, yes.
I realized today how lucky I’ve been to visit Paris four times in the past five years. I felt like each trip revealed a new side to the city. The streets became a little more familiar. I can walk to certain places without a map. I notice what new graffiti replaced last year's models. I feel comfortable going a little further off the tourist-beaten track to find. . .a tiny French-Japanese bakery with matcha and azuki bean marbled bread.
Deliciously unique and beautiful Marbrée Matcha & Azuki from Aki Boulangerie
The shiny newness of adventure is always there because no trip--and no traveler--is ever the same twice. So revisiting isn't really about giving up the opportunity to see something new, it's seizing the opportunity to know a place more deeply.