One of the challenges for people who love traveling is deciding between going someplace new versus going back to someplace visited before. At first, it seems like a pretty straight forward decision, why not go someplace where you’ve never been? On the other hand, there are definite reasons for going back to a location. If we could travel as often as we wanted, we would do a mix of both as we always love seeing new places, but there are many places that we wish we would have had more time to see or would like to see it at a different time of year.
Clearly, going someplace new is always exciting and interesting. There can, however, be some challenges when traveling someplace new such as visa requirements, learning some of the language, having to research travel and accommodations, etc. Excitement can also mean anxiety about the unknown and, depending upon where you are going, uncertainty about safety. What if you choose the wrong part of town to stay in, which of the multitude of things to see should you prioritize, whose information do you trust? With all of that said, that is what creates the adrenaline and anticipation that we truly enjoy.
There are few places that we’ve visited that we haven’t at least once said that we hoped to go back to. There are also some places that we have gone to more than once and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Even after only a single visit, returning to those places has a sense of familiarity that is calming. The time during the returning trip seems much more relaxed as there isn’t the sense that you have to rush to see every possible sight as you’ve seen many of them before. It almost like seeing an old friend that you’ve missed for a few years. Paris is one of those places that we have been to more than once and would return to several times again.
Unfortunately, we don’t have unlimited resources or time to travel to every place that we would like. Our next trip is in a couple of weeks to Carlsbad, California, a place that we haven’t been to before. If we had to choose only one option, we suppose that we would choose going to someplace new, but we are certainly glad that we don’t have to limit our choice. If you had to make a choice, which would you choose?
I would travel to new places. Going back to places where I lived/visited would bring too many memories of my parents! Enjoy your travels :)!
I know what you mean. There are many places that we want to visit but then again, we want to return to those visited. Italy and Paris are among those we’ve visited more than once but want to return to. But then again, there are so many other places to discover. For instance, I’ve been to many places in Spain, but never to Ronda. Seeing the picture you posted above now has me thinking that we need to return to Spain and visit Ronda too!
Ronda is definitely a wonderful city to visit. It is hard deciding where to go. We love so places we have seen and want to explore them even more 🙂
There is one place that I could return again and again and thats France/Paris. Although next year I am heading to something new Spain and Portugal. I like a bit of new with the old. So in 2020 Im looking at perhaps Italy then fly to Paris. Italy new, Paris – like home
Sounds like a perfect trip!
I hope so 🙂
I do a mixture of both. If I return to a place (like Italy), I try to see new places while visiting old ones. My 2015 trip included old favourites (Florence) and new places (Cinque Terre). At the moment, I hope to see a few places in South America before my eventual return to Spain, so new places.
We do that sometimes as well. It can be a good way to combine both 🙂
It’s so difficult to choose, ideally I would do both. When I was younger my answer would definitely have been, always visit a new place! But now I’m a bit older I do enjoy going back to places I’ve been before. At the moment, I’m actually enjoying revisiting countries but seeing new places every time I go. It’s great to explore a country further and try to get to know it a bit better.
We totally agree. We have done that a few times. Exploring more of a country can help you appreciate the culture even more 🙂
Because the world is such a big place and I feel like I’ve barely touched the surface, I always want to go to new places. However, there are a handful of places I’ve returned to several times and would happily go back again, like San Francisco, New York City, and Charleston.
We totally agree. There is always more things to see in a city or country. Sometimes places hold special memories and it makes it fun to go back.
I went to Rome in June. I went back in September for my first solo travel because I had credit for a flight. I am going to Budapest in November, but I realized how cheap flights were to go to other countries when you’re already in Europe, so I extended my trip and am going back to Rome after Budapest to spend time with new friends. Something keeps me going back to Rome at different times of the year…I can’t get enough of that city haha
Rome is an awesome city, we loved our trip there. Back in September 2016 we moved to Germany for 5 months and spent every weekend exploring Germany and surrounding countries. The train system is so easy and inexpensive and the flight costs are definitely cheaper than in the US.
I wouldn’t want to make the choice, but I am safe because we always seem to find something new even in places we have been before. We were recently in Moab, Utah for the fourth time. We wanted to take a boat down the Colorado, but the water was too low. So we drove down the river on a dirt road and found it a very different experience.
We find new things as well when we are somewhere that we have been before. Use it as an opportunity to explore more.
Occasionally……on the whole I like to see new places. However sometimes a visit is just scratching the surface .
That is true. Always an excuse to go back 🙂
Very seldom. Paris is the town, where we will return from time to time. Last year we spent a Holiday in Las Palmas, Spain. I wanted visit it, because I worked there in 1969.
Like you, I think I’d like a balance. There’s some places I definitely want to go back to. There’s something exciting about visiting somewhere new though so it’s a tricky decision.
I think the same as you, on one hand I’m very much “I’d love to go back to that place” but when push comes to shove I’m going to chose somewhere new 🙂
That is what happens to us 🙂
We often go places and say we will go back – but to date have never done so. Each time we plan a vacation it is to a new country, or to a new area of a country we have already been too. Our whole life revolves around travel from doing it to watching it on TV or YouTube (or blogs). Had we the funds to travel the world contuously we absolutely would! *sigh* Thanks for posting your travels!