This past weekend I went on a mini-vacation to New Orleans. I bought a front-row ticket to see my favorite band a few weeks ago and was so excited to go and see them… until I got to the airport. Travel nightmare… 2 flight delays followed by the flight being canceled. Thankfully I was able to rebook with a different airline and still made it to the concert, but it was certainly an adventure getting there.
I’m not going to lie, I was a bit stressed out and worried about actually getting to NOLA. But for the most part, I’m pretty laid back and just roll with the punches. I try to manage what I can and just deal with the rest.
I’ve traveled with a few different people in my lifetime. I grew up in a good-sized family, with lots of personalities to manage. I’ve traveled with some of my friends as well. I’ve learned that it makes a huge difference what kind of experience you have based on who you are traveling with. I’ve also learned that I really like to travel alone.
INFJs are a bit different than most people. There are some things you need to know before you schedule your next adventure. Here are a few general rules for traveling with an INFJ:
1. We need a plan
It doesn’t have to be a minute-by-minute plan, but a loose plan helps a lot. I like to have at least an idea of what we are doing on each day of our vacation. I want to know ahead of time where we are going and what we are doing. Sometimes I even plan out what restaurants I want to eat at and what route I want to take that makes the most sense. Maybe it’s more than a loose plan…
Research is part of the fun of vacations for me. I love learning new things and exploring new ideas. Going to a place like NOLA makes that even more fun because it is so much different than any other city in the United States. There is a lot to know and learn.
2. We are generally ok with changes
The plan is important, but if something better than the plan comes up that’s ok. If something comes up unexpectedly that is worse than the plan, we may lament for a while, but will generally adjust and be ok. My flight changes this past weekend meant that my whole plan was altered. I wasn’t able to do half of the things that I had planned, which was very disappointing. But it still worked out and I am still happy with the trip.
3. We need downtime in the plan
Traveling, though fun, is also hard for us, especially when there are a few people traveling together. It requires lots of unfamiliar places and lots of places with lots of people. It’s important to schedule time to decompress and recharge.
While weekend trips are fun, they are rough for me. I use my weekends to recharge from the week of being around people. So without that break the next week I try to take it a bit easier and spend some extra time recharging in the evenings.
4. We like the local experience
I was lucky enough to be meeting some friends in NOLA that live there. They were a great source of information on where the locals go. That’s the experience that I want, not the mainstream “everybody goes to Bourbon Street when they go to NOLA” experience. I love things that are real and authentic. I would much rather spend my time wandering through a history museum than at an amusement park. I’d also rather taste the local city fare rather than just another pizza hut.
5. Bring snacks
I
have a tendency to get wrapped up in things that I am interested in. I love wandering the streets of new cities for hours. I love ducking into little shops and finding cool places to explore. Sometimes I forget that other people like to sit down and eat a couple of times a day. It will help you out a lot if you bring snacks and remind us that we need to take breaks every once in a while.
I love adventures. I’m down for a long road trip or a plane ride across the country almost any time. With a little research and planning and a few snacks, I’m sure you can have a great time!
