Hi, I just wanted you to know that TH-cam recommended me your SF Mall video yesterday, and I've spent the last 36hrs binging your videos and filming 😭😭my new fav channel. Was watching this while I was filming earlier today. Feel like I've learned more about the Bay area and constructing interesting narratives just by watching you than i have in 2 years of living here. Much love from Milpitas!!
Glad to hear it! There are so many interesting places and subcultures in the bay. And sometimes you have to go experience them for yourself! Constructing interesting narratives is so hard. I don't think is possible to "master" storytelling. Excited to see us both learn more!
Adam. Great video. Again! I went to Milan, Florence and Rome in late November. I can verify it was hella busy, but not as crazy as your trip. I like Europe in the fall/winter because of it being off season, less crowded and you see Christmas markets. That being said, the best time to travel is when you can. Sure seeing the sites might not be considered parts of normal life, but it’s a connection to other times. I don’t know how these towns/cities cope with it unless you start having a tourist congestion tax (Venice Italy). But then you start thinking about the inequality it causes. Great video keep up the great work. Hope to see your channel blow up.
I totally agree with this: "The best time to travel is when you can." The number of people in some of these incredible historical places doesn't take away from the fact that they are incredible historical places.
I think my favorite distinction between travel and vacation is that when you travel, you attempt to live like a local. I love doing both, I've enjoyed my caribbean vacations where I just sit at my all inclusive, float in the bay, and drink bottomless daquiris. But my most memorable experiences when travelling are just getting lost with the people who live there. This can happen in Paris or a small city well off the main road. Sitting at a cafe in Paris or Dijon away from the city center drinking a coffee and (in my younger less health aware days) smoking a cigarette for hours on end, hours past closing at a small restaurant in Brienno, Italy drinking with the owner. Staying in the "dangerous" parts of a city where new immigrants are making a life and talking about what they miss about Dakar, or staying in a small village surrounded by mountains where you're the only tourist in town. A city no one recommends or writes about that you didn't even think would be interesting. I am always aware that I'm a tourist, and an American tourist at that. And while I never suggest people don't look at the masterpieces of collections at the Louvre or walk the frequently flooded squares of Venice -- there are many more stories than just the ones we read in books and distinct experiences to be had anywhere you don't have that reflexive memory of, especially in locations where you can't find mirror images of your lived experience walking around. I've really taken some of my experiences travelling thousands of miles away to my own region, living like a local in neighborhoods and towns only a few miles from where I live and I'm blown away by the stimuli that even places we think we know just by proximity can provide. Really enjoyed this video and found your channel via baseball videos!
And yes, stay away from the touristy spots. Maybe easier said than done. I think, it's okay to do the touristy spots at least once, and now, when you go back, you can travel.
I'm 70 now, but never liked the word "tourist." For 50 years I have described myself as a traveler. Usually I have some goal when I visit a place, but never plan a vacation day by day, hour by hour. Wake up, greet the day and see what's happening locally. Here's an example in the US. We wanted to stay at the historic Yellowstone Lodge at Old Faithful. The place is always packed. But I decided to explore the lodge one night at 2:00 am. I went to the top floor and could hear the building creek and breathe. Then I went outside and watched Old Faithful erupt at 3:00 am in the moonlight. It was magical and nobody there but me.
I went to Italy in the offseason. Great way to avoid the crowds... and all the great family restaurants and many points of interest that were closed for a month for the holidays 😅 still lovely but a little isolating. Ended up in a lot of local bars.
I don't like people (crowds) either. For me the ideal holiday is in the mountains, away from the popular areas. To meet only a few people during the day and have a beer and a meal in a pub in a tiny village in the evening. The Canary Islands are perfect for this. And if I'm in a crowded city, I'll take a quick look at the most popular spots and then I prefer to walk around the areas where the locals live and work. Sometimes it's an incredible contrast of the beautiful touristy downtown and the ugly areas where the locals are....
Wonderful reflection video on vacations and travels😉👍💯. I do love seeing tourists come to San Francisco, especially during high season occasionally because it brings life to the city.
When I travel somewhere I’m always most interested in meeting people and being a part of the community. I have zero interest in looking at old buildings. Being gay I love to check out the local LGBTQ spots and connect with people there.
Fantastic videography! I agree getting out there when you can is the best advice, and there are now places that don't have an off season. Paris doesn't have a slow time when 25 million visitors show up in a non-Olympics year, for instance. But I agree that it's more fun to wander away from the touristy things in the touristy cities. Some of my most memorable adventures were away from the world-class brand-name cities and going into smaller towns/cities, or having a challenging itinerary to use and work around when the urge to roam calls. Do you have any favorite smaller cities or towns from your travels?
I couldn't agree more. the way you described how traveling is doing or going something different is such a perfect way to explain how I like to travel. I can eat good food and see sites in the Bay as well as Rome. When i'm immersed in the Italian culture outside of a city thats when I feel truly away.
To me, a vacation is boring, predictable, and safe. People get on a plane and fly to a resort, drink, dance just like they’ve done everywhere else. I prefer adventure. Will bears mess up today’s plans, is there gonna be anywhere to buy food for the next couple days? Or, having a less structured plan with the knowledge that we’re going to try to find our adventure along the way.
Americans don't travel. The first time I encountered American tourists was on a European bus tour. The first night in Paris we had a free evening; I asked the crowd where did they want to do for dinner? This was in the gastronomique capital of the world. The Americans on the tour just wanted..... McDonalds. I remember thinking - WTAF? Why would you come all the way to Paris just to eat awful McDonalds?
![[#2024MAMA] G-DRAGON - 무제(Untitled, 2014)+POWER+HOME SWEET HOME+뱅뱅뱅+FANTASTIC BABY | Mnet 241123 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ox29z5Nf1Uk/mqdefault.jpg)
Hi, I just wanted you to know that TH-cam recommended me your SF Mall video yesterday, and I've spent the last 36hrs binging your videos and filming 😭😭my new fav channel. Was watching this while I was filming earlier today. Feel like I've learned more about the Bay area and constructing interesting narratives just by watching you than i have in 2 years of living here. Much love from Milpitas!!
Glad to hear it! There are so many interesting places and subcultures in the bay. And sometimes you have to go experience them for yourself!
Constructing interesting narratives is so hard. I don't think is possible to "master" storytelling. Excited to see us both learn more!
Adam. Great video. Again!
I went to Milan, Florence and Rome in late November. I can verify it was hella busy, but not as crazy as your trip. I like Europe in the fall/winter because of it being off season, less crowded and you see Christmas markets. That being said, the best time to travel is when you can. Sure seeing the sites might not be considered parts of normal life, but it’s a connection to other times. I don’t know how these towns/cities cope with it unless you start having a tourist congestion tax (Venice Italy). But then you start thinking about the inequality it causes. Great video keep up the great work. Hope to see your channel blow up.
I totally agree with this: "The best time to travel is when you can." The number of people in some of these incredible historical places doesn't take away from the fact that they are incredible historical places.
I think my favorite distinction between travel and vacation is that when you travel, you attempt to live like a local. I love doing both, I've enjoyed my caribbean vacations where I just sit at my all inclusive, float in the bay, and drink bottomless daquiris. But my most memorable experiences when travelling are just getting lost with the people who live there.
This can happen in Paris or a small city well off the main road. Sitting at a cafe in Paris or Dijon away from the city center drinking a coffee and (in my younger less health aware days) smoking a cigarette for hours on end, hours past closing at a small restaurant in Brienno, Italy drinking with the owner. Staying in the "dangerous" parts of a city where new immigrants are making a life and talking about what they miss about Dakar, or staying in a small village surrounded by mountains where you're the only tourist in town. A city no one recommends or writes about that you didn't even think would be interesting.
I am always aware that I'm a tourist, and an American tourist at that. And while I never suggest people don't look at the masterpieces of collections at the Louvre or walk the frequently flooded squares of Venice -- there are many more stories than just the ones we read in books and distinct experiences to be had anywhere you don't have that reflexive memory of, especially in locations where you can't find mirror images of your lived experience walking around.
I've really taken some of my experiences travelling thousands of miles away to my own region, living like a local in neighborhoods and towns only a few miles from where I live and I'm blown away by the stimuli that even places we think we know just by proximity can provide.
Really enjoyed this video and found your channel via baseball videos!
And yes, stay away from the touristy spots. Maybe easier said than done. I think, it's okay to do the touristy spots at least once, and now, when you go back, you can travel.
I'm 70 now, but never liked the word "tourist." For 50 years I have described myself as a traveler. Usually I have some goal when I visit a place, but never plan a vacation day by day, hour by hour. Wake up, greet the day and see what's happening locally.
Here's an example in the US. We wanted to stay at the historic Yellowstone Lodge at Old Faithful. The place is always packed. But I decided to explore the lodge one night at 2:00 am. I went to the top floor and could hear the building creek and breathe. Then I went outside and watched Old Faithful erupt at 3:00 am in the moonlight. It was magical and nobody there but me.
I went to Italy in the offseason. Great way to avoid the crowds... and all the great family restaurants and many points of interest that were closed for a month for the holidays 😅 still lovely but a little isolating. Ended up in a lot of local bars.
I don't like people (crowds) either. For me the ideal holiday is in the mountains, away from the popular areas. To meet only a few people during the day and have a beer and a meal in a pub in a tiny village in the evening. The Canary Islands are perfect for this.
And if I'm in a crowded city, I'll take a quick look at the most popular spots and then I prefer to walk around the areas where the locals live and work. Sometimes it's an incredible contrast of the beautiful touristy downtown and the ugly areas where the locals are....
It's still great photography! I liked your architecture shots a lot
Thank you! Some of this architecture is so cool and different that it's harder to take a bad shot than a good one!
Wonderful reflection video on vacations and travels😉👍💯. I do love seeing tourists come to San Francisco, especially during high season occasionally because it brings life to the city.
I think there's a fine line between healthy tourism and over-tourism. For me, SF has always been on the right side of that line.
When I travel somewhere I’m always most interested in meeting people and being a part of the community. I have zero interest in looking at old buildings. Being gay I love to check out the local LGBTQ spots and connect with people there.
Fantastic videography!
I agree getting out there when you can is the best advice, and there are now places that don't have an off season. Paris doesn't have a slow time when 25 million visitors show up in a non-Olympics year, for instance. But I agree that it's more fun to wander away from the touristy things in the touristy cities. Some of my most memorable adventures were away from the world-class brand-name cities and going into smaller towns/cities, or having a challenging itinerary to use and work around when the urge to roam calls.
Do you have any favorite smaller cities or towns from your travels?
This video just solidifies why I have ZERO desire to travel abroad. I mean, it's really nice seeing people traveling again, but it's just not for us.
It's not for everyone. But there is a while world out there that isn't the most touristy places in Europe at the most touristy time of the year.
I couldn't agree more. the way you described how traveling is doing or going something different is such a perfect way to explain how I like to travel. I can eat good food and see sites in the Bay as well as Rome. When i'm immersed in the Italian culture outside of a city thats when I feel truly away.
Exactly. Glad to hear I'm not alone :)
I watched till the end and I love this video.
Thank you! That means a lot!!
To me, a vacation is boring, predictable, and safe. People get on a plane and fly to a resort, drink, dance just like they’ve done everywhere else. I prefer adventure. Will bears mess up today’s plans, is there gonna be anywhere to buy food for the next couple days? Or, having a less structured plan with the knowledge that we’re going to try to find our adventure along the way.
Best channel on TH-cam, by far
Thank you! You made my week!
Americans don't travel.
The first time I encountered American tourists was on a European bus tour. The first night in Paris we had a free evening; I asked the crowd where did they want to do for dinner? This was in the gastronomique capital of the world. The Americans on the tour just wanted..... McDonalds. I remember thinking - WTAF? Why would you come all the way to Paris just to eat awful McDonalds?
That's so embarrassing. Maybe the best food city in the world? Please forgive me.