Hi! My name is Craig and I love to explore.
I wouldn’t call myself a travel guru but I have learned quite a few tips and tricks along my travels that I’m eager to share with you.
My love for travel and exploration bloomed from a very early age. As a child, not only was I exploring all parts of my hometown on my little bike, but I was also feverishly chewing through books at the library about foreign culture and language. The thrill of adventuring into new lands, exploring and learning new things was a fire I could not quell.
My first major, international trip was to Ireland in high school. Even though it was a very scheduled, tourist-y trip, I was hooked. This was also around the time I got my license, which gave me the freedom to explore even more of my own backyard. I eventually began to venture out and see what each town in my area had to offer.
In between college and my day tripping, I was able to fit in some other major, international travel experiences. I spent a semester abroad in France and traveled around mainland Europe. I did a home-stay program in Japan and returned two more times after that; I have explored parts of Canada and have vacationed in the Caribbean.
I have never been a fan of tourist destinations; I would force myself to visit them, mostly because they felt like something you should see if you’re spending a lot of money to go abroad.
My favorite part of all my adventures though is when I’d strap on a backpack, get on a train or bus, get off at a random stop and start walking with no destination in mind. This exploration was always the most fulfilling part of my trips.
Outside of my normal studies, I was honing my skills in language and cross cultural understanding. Officially, I minored in French and Japanese. Unofficially, I’ve studied Cantonese, Spanish and Italian. The most important part of these courses was learning about the culture – a more valuable skill than the language itself.
Eventually, I began to see a common pattern emerge around what I was doing and why I was doing it: I love to travel and experience things as if I were a local of the area. There are so many hidden gems that you can only learn about from someone native to the area. To unlock these places you need to learn to integrate – learn the language and the culture and it’s a lot of hard work.
The aim of this site:
- To use my skills learned through my studies and abroad to give you an unbiased review of these hidden gems throughout New England without you needing to go through the hard work of finding them yourself
- To give you suggestions of other activities while exploring and to help flesh out a more engaging trip
- And finally to encourage you to explore everything that’s out there waiting for you
My experiences studying, living and exploring abroad have taught me a lot about discovering the undiscovered. I really do love to learn and experience everything this planet and life has to offer. And I want to encourage you to do the same.
Are you excited yet? You should be, because exploring will change the way you see the world and transform it into an adventure full of excitement and wonder.
Grab your bag, put on comfortable sneakers and let’s go!
Publications, Interviews, Mentions and Awards:
An Artist Oasis in the Middle of a City: The Fuller Craft Museum
Craig Lodge from adaytrip.com
Reader Challenge Roundup: Readers Choice and the Next Challenge
