It seems like everyone is visiting somewhere cool these days.
Thanks to cheap airline tickets and social media–fueled wanderlust, travel has become more popular than ever. Ask Boston College students where they spent spring break, and you’ll get answers all over the country and the globe (though probably a considerable amount concentrated in the Caribbean).
Picture-perfect destinations dominate online content. Scroll through Instagram or TikTok, and you’ll find countless recommendations for where to eat, where to stay, and what to do to ensure you capture as many stylish photos as possible—all aligned with a specific aesthetic.
Rent a villa in Northern Italy and achieve a European summer, “tomato girl,” Call Me by Your Name vibe to your feed. Spend the weekend in Newport, R.I., to live the coastal granddaughter, old-money lifestyle. Or, book a stay at an exclusive resort in Bali for the perfect quiet luxury, clean-girl getaway.
These locations, and most that are trendy on social media, would certainly make for incredible vacations. But in chasing picturesque scenes tailored to a defined aesthetic, I think we are losing some of the benefits of travel.
This past week, I found myself spending time somewhere I never really thought I would: St. Louis, Mo.
While I was excited for the trip (shout out to BC women’s club ice hockey), I didn’t expect much from the city itself. Maybe I’m a coastal elitist, but I’ve never really heard people champion its hallmarks the way they do for Boston, New York, or Chicago.
My preconceived notions were partially true—it wasn’t anything like visiting Boston, New York, or Chicago. I didn’t come back with Pinterest-worthy photos of buzzing city streets or trendy stores and restaurants. There was no Newbury Street, Soho, or Andersonville to post pictures of overpriced coffee from. Nor was there really much to do outside of hockey besides eat and hang out.
Nevertheless, I had a great time.
What makes travel so valuable, in my opinion, is the opportunity to see new things. Sometimes those things will be social media-worthy, sometimes they won’t. They may be easy to find, or you might have to seek them out intentionally. And, as with any new experience, what you try on vacation could prove to be enjoyable or completely mediocre.
The best is when something we expect to be mediocre surprises us by being exciting. I was amazed by the Gateway Arch. Sitting on the bank of the Mississippi, it was way more interesting than I anticipated to see the origin of so much history firsthand. I also never expected to have the best barbecue of my life while traveling for a hockey tournament.
Even mediocrity has merit. Just as trying a new hobby or job can clarify what doesn’t suit us as much as what does, being in a new place can highlight and reaffirm what we appreciate about home. I enjoyed St. Louis, but it definitely made me appreciate being from a more walkable city.
Discoveries like these are only possible if we open ourselves up to travel beyond what fits neatly into social media’s boxes. I’m not saying I would always prefer the Rust Belt over the Amalfi Coast—I just think it’s important to remember what the former could offer if you open yourself up to it.
I probably won’t be moving to Missouri anytime soon, but I’m glad I had the chance to experience it and realize how much exists beyond what I’ve been exposed to. So many corners of the world are an untapped resource for enjoyment, inspiration, and knowledge—it’s merely a question of finding them.
