More and more people are asking me “How do you know where to go? Where do you find inspiration?”. Honestly, I never had to really look for a destination, it feels like there are always more places to visit, it’s endless. However, as this question keeps popping up, I decided I would try to answer it. So, I tried to look into my process, a process I’m not even conscious of.
Hearing About A Potential Next Destination
Because I studied languages and travelled a lot, many of my friends like travelling too and several of them live abroad. Therefore, my Facebook and Instagram feeds are filled with new ideas, new places to visit. Really, I don’t have to look far to think of my next destination.
Also, I follow travelbloggers… So, you see, no need to search for my next trip, I have plenty of options offered to me everytime I go on social media. I also registered for newsletters, so my mailbox contains some inspirations (Adventurous Kate, for example).
What About France?
To be clear, I know that there are famous destinations in France like Paris, but here, I am talking about smaller places that are worth visiting and do not get much attention, especially if you’re not a local.
When I moved back to France and decided to stay in one place for a while, my father said that I would get bored. The thing is that, because I travelled a lot abroad, I had not seen much of France. So, actually, when I came back, I had plenty of options!
In my opinion, there are three types of destinations (it works in France, but also in any country you were born in):
- the dream destination (the Sentiers d’Ocre or Mont Saint-Michel for example),
- the closeby destination (anything that is close to where you are and that might be interesting, it’s ok if it’s not because it didn’t require much effort),
- the childhood destination (you went there as a child, but your memory is fuzzy and you want to compare your memory to the actual thing).
Even though there might be more, I would say that these are the main ones for me.
If you are looking for inspiration, there are French travelbloggers too (like L’oiseau rose). I follow some of them on Instagram and, when a photo catches my attention, I make a screenshot of it in case I am ever near said place.
Simply Looking At The Map To Find Your Next Destination
Usually, when I’m in a city and I don’t know how long I will stay or if I know I won’t stay for too long, I look at the map and at the closeby cities and I do some research to see if something is worth visiting.
For example, I’m currently in Toulouse and I’m looking for a job. Even though I do hope to stay in the pink city, I am preparing myself to move to another city in order to get a job that suits me best in case it doesn’t work out here. That translates into me trying to visit all the cute cities around. Actually, I have a list (that keeps getting longer…) and I recently checked Foix.
Now, why Foix? Because it was close, because I knew the name, but maybe because of a famous nursery rhyme I heard as a child (so you see, it doesn’t take much to pique my interest):
“Il était une fois
Une marchande de foie
Qui vendait du foie
Dans la ville de Foix
Elle se dit : ma foi,
C’est la dernière fois
Que je vends du foie
Dans la ville de Foix”
I looked for all the interesting things to do in Foix or nearby and found out about the cute medieval city of Mirepoix and about the Montbel lake. So I decided to make it a 2-day road trip. On my way to the airbnb, I saw a sign where waterfalls were drawn and I asked my host about it. She said the Roquefort waterfalls were 5 minutes away. So, of course, it became my next destination and on the next morning, I drove there and it was beautiful!
So, To Conclude: How Do You Find Your Next Destination?
Well, follow your heart and your instinct, talk to people, keep an open mind, and wander on the Internet. Don’t plan too much of strict schedule when travelling. This way, if something nice seems worth your time, you’ll be able to adapt and not miss it.
Do not overlook the small places, every trip is an adventure!
To see more photos of France, you can visit the gallery France.
