Falling head over heels with anything unknown is a very high expectation. My life (and travel) philosophy is to have no expectations - it eliminates disappointments and leaves room for surprises.
I do get you though. I'm having the same issue with Mallorca right now. I had expectations. The reality is different. 😂
There's a light festival on Birgu. It's one night and the whole town gets decorated with candles, fairy lights, lanterns, etc. at night. Very low-key, but very magical.
I love that! 😊 What a place to start your travels.
I have a feeling that if I’d spent two months there instead of a weekend, my experience might have been completely different. It’s funny how a destination is never just the destination - it also depends on the stage of life you’re in when you visit it.
Now I’m curious… did Malta make you want to keep traveling, or were you already hooked before?
Good question! That first year had some rocky moments, including Malta. While we loved Valletta and living in a foreign country, our coliving place was a VERY mixed bag. We left Malta thinking that if we had another mixed experience, this might not be the life for us. Thankfully, the next experience was Matera, Italy, and great!
I absolutely loved Matera too, so I can see why that changed everything for you. 😊 It’s one of those places that has stayed with me ever since.
Out of curiosity, how much time did you spend exploring the region around Matera? I only scratched the surface, and I’d love to go back one day to see more of Basilicata.
I actually loved Mdina. I thought it was lovely for such a tiny place.
Food was hit and miss but I didn't have any fancy meals. And I never saw the cathedral. But I went to a festival that was pure magic.
I think my issue wasn’t Mdina…it was that I expected to fall head over heels for Malta as a whole, and that just didn’t happen.
A festival sounds magical though. I have a feeling that might have changed my overall impression of the island a little! ✨
Falling head over heels with anything unknown is a very high expectation. My life (and travel) philosophy is to have no expectations - it eliminates disappointments and leaves room for surprises.
I do get you though. I'm having the same issue with Mallorca right now. I had expectations. The reality is different. 😂
There's a light festival on Birgu. It's one night and the whole town gets decorated with candles, fairy lights, lanterns, etc. at night. Very low-key, but very magical.
That’s a very fair point. 😊 I think my problem wasn’t Malta itself…it was the version of Malta I had already created in my head before arriving.
And yes, Mallorca might be teaching you the same lesson right now! 😂
That festival sounds exactly like the kind of thing I love when I travel. A town lit by candles and lanterns? That’s hard to compete with.
Glad you had a good time even if you didn't love it. We spent two months there when we first started traveling, so it was a bit of a baptism for us!
I love that! 😊 What a place to start your travels.
I have a feeling that if I’d spent two months there instead of a weekend, my experience might have been completely different. It’s funny how a destination is never just the destination - it also depends on the stage of life you’re in when you visit it.
Now I’m curious… did Malta make you want to keep traveling, or were you already hooked before?
Good question! That first year had some rocky moments, including Malta. While we loved Valletta and living in a foreign country, our coliving place was a VERY mixed bag. We left Malta thinking that if we had another mixed experience, this might not be the life for us. Thankfully, the next experience was Matera, Italy, and great!
I absolutely loved Matera too, so I can see why that changed everything for you. 😊 It’s one of those places that has stayed with me ever since.
Out of curiosity, how much time did you spend exploring the region around Matera? I only scratched the surface, and I’d love to go back one day to see more of Basilicata.