I planned the shit out of my Recharge trip last year. I knew where I would be and when and how to get from every here to every there and what I would be doing at all the theres. This meant I got to see and do everything I wanted *and* I was exhausted *and* I was constantly stressed by the tension between living the trip and documenting and sharing the trip.

I learned that I don’t want to travel that way again and that I would like to build in rest days, during which time I could document and/or share my experiences between having them, perhaps while sitting in a cafe or pub. I might see less but I would also live like a local and absorb the culture.

My Benelux planning has thus been positively Zen by comparison. I booked my flights and accommodations and figured out how to get from the Luxembourg airport to my first listing. That’s it. I don’t have any specific plans when I arrive, just a vague idea of where to go explore. I have some loose ideas for Belgium and Netherlands, but I don’t know the logistics of getting around yet, beyond some cursory research into train travel.

This makes me a bit anxious but also feels right because I’m stretching out of my travel comfort zone and trying something new. I think these three countries will be good places to try this out as they are landmark-light and culture-heavy.

Fingers crossed I don’t end up with regrets about not seeing/doing this or that. FOMO is a bitch.