Tyler Cowen travel tips

That is my latest column in The Free Press.  Here is one excerpt from the middle:

I am a fan of going places where things are happening, whether good news or bad, at least if the locales are sufficiently safe. When communism fell, I rented a car and drove around Eastern Europe for one of my most interesting and memorable trips. More recently, I visited El Salvador and Argentina (repeat visits in both cases) to see what was going on with El Salvador president Nayib Bukele’s radical imprisonment policies and the free-market reforms of Argentina’s Javier Milei. I do not pretend to completely grasp the problems of either country, but my understanding is richer than before. I also found that the locals are keen to narrate their points of view, which makes the trip more interesting.

And from the very end:

Finally, I have a radical travel suggestion. Perhaps it is not for families or for the frail, but seasoned travelers should consider it. Imagine you have been to many places, and you are wondering where to go next. Select a country (putting aside danger) where you are quite sure you do not want to go, simply because it does not interest you much. Go there.

The point is that your instincts can be quite wrong about places you have not seen. What’s more, if you go with low expectations, there is a high likelihood you will be pleasantly surprised. Under my proposed method, you will not be disappointed.

When I started traveling, I thought I would love Southeast Asia most, but over time my true affections turned toward Latin America. A few years back I ended up in Baku, Azerbaijan, not because I really wanted to go, but because going through Baku was the easiest way to get to my final destination. The same was true for my trip to Pristina, Kosovo (“where can I fly direct from Zurich airport, where I have not already been?”). Both were fantastic experiences, more interesting, and also easier than I had been expecting.

So often in travel, our greatest enemies are inertia and status quo bias. Recognize that change is real, and that you need some yourself. Isn’t that why you are traveling in the first place?

Do it!