One Of Rick Steves' Best Tips To Make The Most Of Your Next Trip

Have you ever been in a situation that was less than ideal during your vacation? Perhaps you missed a connecting flight, got off at the wrong train stop, or maybe you got locked out of your accommodation on a cold, rainy day. If not, consider yourself one of the lucky ones — because all of these examples have happened to me. Thankfully, travel expert Rick Steves knows a thing or two about how to make any trip great. Not only does he recommend flying 'open-jaws' when traveling through Europe, but he also suggests that travelers avoid being a perfectionist in order to make the most of their trip.

Writing on his blog, Steves points out that going with the flow is something that every traveler should strive to do — even when the going gets tough. "Many tourists get indignant when they make a mistake or get ripped off. When something happens, it's best to get over it," he explains. Letting mistakes and mishaps put a damper on things may seem inevitable. After all, it's never a great feeling when things go wrong. However, as Steves puts it, "The joy of travel is not the sights and not necessarily doing it right — it's having fun with the process, being wonderstruck with a wider world, laughing through the mistakes and learning from them, and making friends along the way."

Whether you've forgotten TSA's rules on toiletries, or you simply forgot your toothpaste at home, mastering the art of rolling with the punches can make your vacation memorable, not miserable. Beyond maintaining a positive attitude, Steves also swears by staying humble, and considers it one of the best attitudes tourists should adopt while exploring Europe.

When traveling around Europe, or any country for that matter, things can go awry faster than the bullet train you've excitedly booked. During my solo travels, I've had some less than pleasant mistakes, misunderstandings, and a fair share of stressful moments. As a Virgo, I'm a perfectionist. It's part of my personality, which isn't always a good thing when traveling. Over the years, however, I've learned to follow Steves' advice by "turning the other cheek," when something goes wrong.

According to an article published by Psychology Today, being a perfectionist on vacation has been shown to lead to increased mental pressure such as stress and anxiety. So rather than letting things ruin your trip, rolling with the punches is a surefire way to kick perfectionism to the curb. In my case, what seemed to be the most stressful moments during my travels turned out to be the moments I remember the most, and they involved people that I still speak to this day.

There's a profound quote by Adam Braun, CEO of Pencils of Promise, that says: "True self-discovery begins where your comfort zone ends." This may ring especially true for perfectionists who strive to avoid mistakes by ensuring everything runs like a well-oiled machine while abroad. And what's the best way to do that? By stepping away from your comfort zone and giving up on attempting to control every aspect of your trip.

One of the first things perfectionists need to do in order to make the most of their travels is ditch comparing themselves to other travelers on social media. Platforms like Instagram are filled with meticulously curated images edited to perfection at the prettiest locations alongside an endless number of "must-see lists" constantly popping up in our feeds. This makes it easy to get overwhelmed as a perfectionist, which can certainly ruin a vacation quickly with a case of FOMO.

Additionally, not being flexible with plans or schedules is another way perfectionists railroad their trips. While it's totally acceptable to book things like hotels, tours, and cars in advance, being loose with certain plans allows travelers to be more spontaneous should things not work out in the first place — like a tour being canceled due to weather events. Perfectionists like being in control, so learning to take things as they come will alleviate the need to have everything planned like clockwork.

To break free of perfectionism while on a trip, I've made it a point to write in a travel journal daily regardless of the day's outcome. Even when the day doesn't turn out the way I had hoped for, writing down my emotions and the events that transpired through the day is a great way to calm down and have a few laughs about scenarios that seemed serious at the time. Plus, it makes for a memorable way to look back on a trip fondly, even with the minor imperfections.