Rick Steves' Tour Guides Share This Mindset That Makes Traveling More Whimsical

Traveling to a new destination or returning to a favorite one is sure to spark wonderment and excitement as soon as the plane ticket is booked. And all of Rick Steves' tour guides are urging travelers to embrace a mindset to make their trips more whimsical.

Travel guru Rick Steves' trained tour guides are keen on making sure travelers have great experiences. By embracing their inner children, tourists can be present while embracing curiosity and wonder no matter their age. Steves' tour guides all approach travel with this mindset.

Opting for a more carefree method of travel allows tourists to be more than "just a tourist" according to Axel Thorson, a former IT worker who left the corporate world to embrace his expertise in planning hiking and cycling trips for Rick Steves' My Way itineraries. In a blog post, Thorson says that imagining yourself as a local embraces the child-like mindset of make-believe. "The same magic that children tap into in their imaginations is useful for seeing and understanding a new place from the inside out," he wrote.

Seeing a young child on a plane or on a tour may spark stress in some people. But Rick Steves' Family Tour guide Ragen Van Sewell said in a blog post that it is the complete opposite on his tours. "It's actually less stressful," he wrote. "Having kids in the group helps to remind everyone that school is out and this trip is a vacation." Van Sewell says that on a mixed-age tour, the adults will socialize with a drink, while the kids get together to play. He said that his personality is the key to successfully leading a family with children around Europe because his tourists tell him he seems like a child at heart.

Planning every little detail of your trip can be a bad idea, and Steves' guides know that going with the flow is how a child's mind thinks. Van Sewell emphasized that spontaneity is crucial to a good vacation and described one night out in Italy. "One evening at Piazza Navona in Rome," he said, "everyone on our tour decided to get tattoos (not permanent ones, but henna versions that wash away after a couple of weeks)." They all loved their tattoos, but the hotel manager was furious with him when they rubbed off on the bedsheets. Van Sewell seems to have taken it in stride. "I explained that it takes a real man to have a kitten tattoo on his arm, and rolled up my sleeve to show him," he wrote.

Adulting is hard. There are never-ending work emails filter in even after your shift, coupled with the pressures of work and family life. Everyone could certainly use a break, especially on vacation.

Revisiting places that hold a sense of nostalgia (which can be therapeutic to some) is another way to evoke that inner child within. Had a great time growing up while exploring the beaches of Florida? Book a trip with some friends, or even a solo vacay to reignite those memories.

Finding joy and laughing at what may seem a stressful situation is another good way to embrace your inner child. Missed that train by a few minutes? Don't worry about it. You'll eventually get to where you need to be. Put away the map and wander aimlessly around those European streets, while stopping to treat yourself to a decadent dessert before dinner. Planning is great, but including some time for spontaneous activities will allow you the freedom to reconnect with your fun-loving side.

While walking around, take a few moments to notice little details around you. Laundry strung along a line flowing in the breeze above you, or a lazy cat basking in the sun. Kids tend to be more present in the moment and notice little details, and stopping to notice them ourselves sparks a sense of curiosity that will make your trip truly feel like an escape.