I ask all guests a series of questions that I normally ask myself after I come home from travelling, these questions are aimed to give some insight into how these travellers accomplished what they did. These questions also will help you find out if your style of travel matches well with this guest.
Right off the bat we discussed Mhairi’s association with being British or Scottish. Where it is easier to associate with people who do not live in Europe by calling herself British. But her Scottish routes always come first. Talking about the ease of having either a Canadian, British, Australian or European passport compared to if you had a passport from the middle east.
What led you to this destination?
Family led her to Canada, she had always wanted to go and had a period of time where she was off work and school.
At any time was there a reason to leave, ever uncomfortable?
She was a little uncomfortable in New York but nothing serious that would make her leave.
Were there any surprises during your trip that were contrary to your beliefs?
She thought that Americans would be over the top friendly in a fake sort of way when it came from restaurants. And in New York city many people were rude and busy which was to be expected but still surprising.
Did you run into any trouble while there?
No trouble at all everything was mostly worry free.
What was the least enjoyable situation for you?
The customs services when they asked about her arabic stamp on her passport. A little difficult to deal with the American customs in that situation, to them Mhairi was being dodgy by not remembering exactly the details.
What did you discover there that was off the beaten path?
She discovered many restaurants in New York and shops that were not part of chain stores which she was not expecting. She was expecting mcdonalds and other shops such as that. In Canada Mhairi had never heard of Canadian wine until she did a wine tour in Niagara region, she was very impressed with the ice wine and just the quality in general due to having access to the world renowned european wine.
Do you think you found out anything about yourself that you regularly would not have?
Mhairi had done quite a lot of wandering by herself in New York which she did not expect to feel comfortable doing. She does not really feel alone while traveling even though she is doing much of her travelling solo. We discussed this, to her everyone sounding the same so she can be comfortable in a crowd, but to us she is an outlier but that goes unnoticed to her for the most part.
If you went with anyone on this trip what role did they serve for you?
She was solo but met up with a few friends and family.
Did you spend any extensive time with the locals, what were they like?
She found a big difference between the “fake friendly” that you get here compared to being a little more honest back home about who you do or do not want to talk to. She was not a fan of being pressured by store clerks to buy products or waiters that would not leave her alone. American stores back in Britain have employees who act similar to real North American stores and store clerks who are British seemed embarrassed about being so pushy with their sales techniques. We agreed that the North American shopping culture is out of control and needs to be reeled in.
Did you try to blend in to that local atmosphere, or act more like a tourist?
She did not try to blend in as it is quite difficult with a Scottish accent but Mhairi certainly does not mind being a tourist. She does not have another time to get the photos she wants and do the tourist things that are on everyones list when they go to a new destination.
How did your country of Origin influence your behaviour when travelling?
We both noticed how taxi drivers always hike the rates for people who are obviously not from the area, Mhairi shared that that is an issue back home as well as here in Ontario. The sense of humour differs as well crossing the pond. What also differs is how, when out at the bar through Mhairi’s experience men back home are much more outright and physical about trying to “pick up” a girl they like compared to here where people are not as aggressive and more passive about trying to pick people up. Mhairi has said that punching a few guys is well within her means to be able to discourage guys to leave her or other women alone.
Was maximizing utility to cost a priority on the trip?
Yes Mhairi did not have a job to go back to when she went on the trip. She would have liked to spend more but is not a fan of wasting money on things that are not of good value.
Would you save or spend more in the future? What would you save or spend more on?
She would spend more on, better value places to eat, she did not do the amount of research she would have liked before choosing places to eat and spend money. During the time of our talk she had not yet seen Toronto but expected to spend more money there. She definitely would recommend walking a lot in New York due to the expense of taxis. She would not want to cycle because it seemed so dangerous
After the experience, was it easy to justify the time spent doing what you did?
Very easy to justify going on the trip she had other destinations in mind but those could have had more downside.
Why are you so attracted to travelling?
Seeing all of the things that she wants to see while being young enough to get the most out of every place.
When people ask about your trip, what do you tell them? Do you tell them what you think they will like or what you really think is worth mentioning?
Mhairi normally says she summarizes her trip according to what she thinks other people enjoy hearing about. Depending on what kind of question is asked, if they are vague then a vague answer is what we decided is usually provided. If someone asks more afterward then you get more in depth with your answer.