Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Welcome to Cheryl's Travel Blueprint! I’m a former Spanish teacher turned travel advisor, passionate about curating unforgettable experiences. My expertise lies in European adventures (with a special love for Spain), cruising, and all-inclusive Caribbean getaways. I specialize in creating tailored trips for families, multi-generational groups, and teachers—whether they’re traveling solo, with colleagues, or leading student groups.
In this podcast, we celebrate the joy of travel, uncover hidden gems, share practical tips and tricks, and embrace the spirit of adventure. Each episode features inspiring conversations with fascinating guests from all walks of life as they share their unique travel stories, lessons, and favorite destinations. Whether you're planning your next getaway or simply love to dream about the possibilities, this is your place to explore the world from wherever you are.
Let’s embark on this journey together! 🌍✈️
Cheryl K Johnson (00:02.636)
I remember standing in a crowded street in Barcelona with seeing people standing shoulder to shoulder, cameras are up, noise was everywhere. And I had this strange thought, why does this feel empty?
Not because Barcelona isn't beautiful, because it is. But in that moment, I wasn't looking at the city. I was looking at other people looking at the city. I remember trying to take a picture and realizing I couldn't even step back far enough to frame it because every angle had someone in it. And for the first time on a trip, I had been so excited about, I felt disconnected. And just a few days later, everything changed. Not in Barcelona, but in a place most people skip.
And what surprised me most wasn't where I went. It was how different I felt because it made me realize something I hadn't expected. Sometimes the places we're told we have to visit aren't the places that actually change us. And if you've ever taken a trip that looked perfect on paper but felt just a little off, like you checked all the boxes but something was missing.
You're going to want to listen to this episode because today we're unpacking something that might completely change how you plan your next trip. Why skipping Barcelona might actually give you a better experience of Spain. And if you're already thinking about Spain, I'd love to help you design a trip that feels the way you want it to, not just look good online. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel so you never miss an episode. You can schedule a consultation with me at Nostalgic Travel using the link in the description.
So welcome to Cheryl's Travel Blueprint, where we don't just plan trips, we design experiences that change us. Let's talk about Barcelona, because this isn't about criticizing the city. Barcelona is incredible, but it's also overwhelmed. And you feel that overwhelm in ways that are hard to describe until you're in it. Like standing in line for a cafe, finally sitting down, and before you even finish your drink, you can feel the pressure for the table to turn.
Cheryl K Johnson (01:59.04)
Not because everyone's rude, but because the demand is constant. And what's happening here is something bigger. Over tourism, there are too many people with too much pressure and the experience starts to shift. It just becomes more crowded and rushed, less personal. And suddenly you're not experiencing Barcelona. You're navigating it. And here's the part most people don't realize. The issue isn't Barcelona. It's how we choose where we go. We've all been given a script.
Go here, see this, don't miss that. Visit the landmarks, take the photos, move on to the next thing. And on the surface, it feels exciting because it feels like you're doing travel right. But underneath that, there's pressure, an invisible checklist running in the background of your entire trip. You're wondering, am I seeing enough? Did I miss something important? Are we making the most of this? And that pressure changes how you experience a place.
I've had travelers tell me that they didn't even know why half the places were on their list. They just knew they were must-sees. And when I asked them where that list came from, the answer is usually a blog, a TikTok, a top 10 things to do list.
some version of someone else's experience that they felt like they had to recreate. And this is where it gets really interesting because the moment you start following someone else's version of a destination, you stop noticing your own. And there's nothing wrong with looking to social media for inspiration because, you know, it gives you ideas. But then you got to take that next step. It's just important to know yourself and what you want from an experience before you decide to book.
I remember talking to a couple after a trip to Europe and they said something that stuck with me. We were exhausted, but we felt like we couldn't slow down because there was still so much more to see. And I asked them, what would have happened if you skipped half of it? They paused because no one had ever given them permission to do that. And that's the real issue with the invisible script. It doesn't just tell you where to go.
Cheryl K Johnson (03:53.173)
It tells you how to behave when you get there. You have to move quickly, see more, don't linger too long, and before you realize it, you're experiencing a place through urgency instead of presence. You wake up early to beat the crowds, you rush the breakfast, you check your list, and even in a beautiful place, you feel like you're behind.
And that's the moment everything clicks. We're not designing trips, we're inheriting them. We're stepping into someone else's idea of what destination should be instead of asking ourselves what we actually want from it. And the shift is simple but powerful. The moment you stop asking yourself, should I see? And start asking yourself, how do I want to feel? That's when the script breaks and that's when your trip becomes yours.
Standing there in Barcelona with the heat rising off the pavement, hearing constant noise everywhere all at once, and movement of people just always going somewhere. It's energy and it's vibrant, but it's also a lot.
And the thing about that kind of environment is you don't always notice what it's doing to you until you step out of it. I remember walking down a main street trying to take it all in, like the architecture, looking at the colors and details. But every few seconds I was trying to move out of someone's way, checking where my bag was, trying not to bump into people. And I realized I wasn't experiencing the city. I was just navigating it.
And that creates this subtle tension because even though you're in a beautiful place, your body doesn't feel relaxed. Your mind is constantly scanning, thinking, where am I going next? How long is the line? Are we behind schedule? And that pressure builds quietly. At one point, I remember checking the time, not because I had somewhere important to be, but because I felt like I should be moving on. Like staying too long in one place meant I was missing something else. And that's when I stepped into a side street, not intentionally, just instinctively.
Cheryl K Johnson (05:42.367)
And the sound dropped almost immediately because there was no crowd or urgency, just the echo of footsteps and a few people walking and talking in the distance. And I stopped not because I planned to, but because I finally could. And I remember thinking, why does this feel better than the main attraction? And that question stayed with me because nothing about that side street was more impressive. There was no landmark or line to get into anything. There was no reason it should have felt more meaningful. And yet it did.
And I started to notice something else. In the quieter space, I was paying attention differently. I noticed the details on the buildings, the way the light hit the walls, the rhythm of people just going about their day. And for the first time since arriving, I wasn't thinking about what was next. I was just there. And it made me realize something I hadn't been able to put into words before.
It wasn't the city that was overwhelming. It was the pace I was experiencing it at. Because Barcelona itself isn't the problem. It's how most of us move through it. Fast, focused, and trying to fit everything in. when you combine that pace with a place that's already full of energy, it amplifies everything.
And that's when the shift begins, not in a different country, not even in a completely different type of place, but in a simple realization that maybe the experience I was looking for wasn't going to happen in the middle of the crowd. And once that thought enters your mind, you start to look at everything differently.
You start to wonder what would this trip feel like if I chose places that where I didn't have to fight for the experience. And that's where the question started to shift. What if the experience I was looking for wasn't in the places everyone else was going? Let's talk about Valencia because Valencia quietly gives you everything people think they're going to get from Barcelona. It has beautiful architecture, a coastline, incredible food.
Cheryl K Johnson (07:26.382)
But the feeling is completely different. I remember sitting at an outdoor cafe there watching locals having lunch. Nobody was rushing or checking the time and I realized no one here was trying to see at all. They were just living. And as a traveler, you start to mirror that. You slow down without even trying. And here's what's fascinating. The experience you're chasing in a crowded city often lives in a quieter one.
Then there's Figueres, home to the Dali Theater Museum. This is a place like no other. I remember walking into one of the rooms and just standing there, not trying to understand it, but just experiencing it. There was no one rushing me or a crowd pushing behind me, and that's when it hit me. This is what connection feels like. Places like Valencia, Figueres, Granada, Córdoba, San Sebastián, they're not trying to perform for tourism. And because of that, they feel more real.
I've had travelers come back and say, we barely took any photos, but we remember everything. And this is where everything changed for me. That place I mentioned earlier, it was Granada. Quiet streets, no pressure, no checklist, just a quieter place, not empty, just not overwhelming.
I remember arriving and noticing something almost immediately. No urgency or pressure to move faster. There was no feeling like I needed to compete for space. And it wasn't dramatic. It was subtle. But it was enough to make me pause and think, why does this already feel different?
Granada doesn't demand your attention the way a city like Barcelona does. It invites it. And that's what a completely different experience feels like. I remember one night in particular sitting in a small plaza with no plan or itinerary. I didn't have a next stop. I was just sitting, listening to the sound of conversation around me and glasses clinking, music in the distance. For the first time on that trip, I wasn't thinking about what I hadn't seen yet. I wasn't thinking about what I should be doing. I wasn't really thinking about anything at all. I was just there.
Cheryl K Johnson (09:20.726)
And it's hard to explain if you haven't felt it, but something shifts in that moment because when you remove the pressure and the noise and stop trying to keep up with an invisible script, you start to come back to yourself. I remember sitting there and realizing
this feeling of calm and clarity is what I thought I was going to feel throughout the entire trip, but I didn't feel it until I slowed down long enough to let it happen. And that's where everything clicked. It wasn't about the destination or the landmark or checking the box. It was about the environment I had put myself in because Granada gave me something that Barcelona couldn't in that moment, gave me space.
to notice and feel and to reflect. And when you have that kind of space, Travel Stops being something you consume and become something you experience. I remember looking around that plaza and nothing about it would have made a top 10 list because there was no famous landmark, there were no lines to get into anything. There was no headline moment, but it's one of the clearest memories I have from that entire trip because I wasn't rushing through it. I was inside that experience and that's the difference.
This is the part of travel we don't talk about enough. We think that the most meaningful moments will come from the most famous places, but they don't. They come from the moments where you finally stop trying to keep up, where you're not performing your trip, you're just living it. And those moments don't feel loud. They feel quiet, but they stay with you. Even now, when I think back on that trip, I don't immediately think about the crowded streets or the landmarks.
I think about that night, that feeling and that stillness, because that's the moment that changed how I see travel. Not as something to accomplish, but as something to experience. And once you feel that, once you've experienced travel that way, you can't unsee it. You start asking different questions. Instead of saying to yourself, what should I see next? You might ask, where will I feel that again? And that's when everything about you and how you travel begins to change.
Cheryl K Johnson (11:14.818)
And if you're starting to think about Spain differently, one of the best ways to experience these places is through curated local experiences, whether it's a walking tour, a food experience, or a day trip to a smaller town. I've included a link in the description to get your guide where you can explore experiences across Spain, including some incredible options in places most travelers overlook. And just so you know, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. And don't forget to subscribe to my channel so you never miss an episode.
Hidden gems work because they remove friction. There's less noise and pressure and more space. And when you're not thinking about what's next, you start noticing what's now. Because travel isn't just about where you go. It's about who you become while you're there. In busy places, I feel rushed, but in quieter places, I just feel like myself again. If you want a different experience, you should think about these things. Define how you want to feel, choose fewer places, build in space, and go where others don't.
The travelers who skip the obvious come home changed, not because they saw more, but because they felt more. You can go to Barcelona and have a great trip, but if you want something deeper, you might find it somewhere else, in a quiet street, a late dinner, a place you almost didn't choose, because sometimes the most meaningful part of a journey is what you decide to skip. If this episode is making you rethink how you want to travel, that's exactly what I design at Nostalgic Travel.
Schedule a consultation using the link in the description. And if this resonated with you, share it with someone planning their next trip. Because sometimes, the best decision you make isn't where you go, it's what you choose to skip.