I wrote about my first visit to Ireland over the last several months, including starting off with my concern that maybe I’d built up the island in my mind too much. I’ve wanted to visit for about as long as I can remember. But I wondered how would the actual experience of Ireland compare with my expectation? Now if you’ve followed along on these posts, it should be clear that the experience was lovely.
Ireland wasn’t the first trip I was concerned about. I couldn’t wait to visit Paris growing up, walking the streets on the left bank or enjoying a coffee or a drink at a cafe like Hemingway, Picasso, Stein, exploring art in the Louvre. All the things. But I still remember taking the train from CDG and not seeing those stately buildings along the grand city streets. Which, honestly, seems obvious. It’s not like the airport was built in the middle of all those historic streets. But I remember gazing out the window and thinking “what if Paris isn’t the trip I thought it’d be?”
I was wrong. Paris was lovely. And it was lovely when I went back and I expect it will still be lovely when I visit again. But there is a sinking moment when I travel somewhere I’ve so looked forward to where I have to wonder if I’ve built it all up. And you know…even if I have, there is still magic to be found in places. There will still be museums I want to visit, food I want to eat, vistas to explore.
And then there’s the opposite. I’ve also visited places I knew very little about and loved them. I fell for Portugal (and hard). Lisbon surpassed my expectations because I didn’t know what to expect. Back when I visited, I don’t think I knew anyone else who had spent time in Lisbon. I didn’t have much on my radar of places to visit until I started planning my trip, and so hadn’t built up my thoughts about what those places may look like or what I hoped to feel when I went.
When something isn’t living up to expectation, I’ve learned there are a couple of things I can do. The first: give it time. After my train arrived in Paris and I made my way to my hotel in the Latin Quarter, Paris transformed. It was the city I’d dreamed of visiting, the city from the pictures and the movies. And I fell in love, just like I thought I would.
Second: it may make sense to change the expectation. I could have easily been disappointed when a heavy mist covered the Cliffs of Moher, but instead I focused on how otherworldly it felt, how magical. A veil between worlds. It was like the Ireland of myths and legends.
Sure, I would have liked to see those stunning Atlantic views, but maybe next time. Because while there are places I may only visit once, there are others that I want to return to again and again. I want to see the places I’ve fallen for, but also explore other areas I didn’t get a chance to see on the first visit.
Finally – there may be things that just don’t live up to expectation. And that’s okay. Instead of getting disappointed, be content with having visited somewhere that you wanted to go. And maybe there are things to explore around the place, maybe places that weren’t even on your list. Those places may still offer great experiences to take with you. And that can be the beauty of travel.
