How to Fit in Anywhere

People Watch.

One of the biggest concerns travelers have is whether or not they will be able to fit in at their destination. No one enjoys sticking out like a sore thumb, and if you don’t take the time to do a little homework before you head out, chances are that is exactly what will happen. There are some great techniques that you can use that will allow you to fit in anywhere your path may take you, from the remotest village in the Andes, to the biggest metropolitan cities of Europe.

The first step towards learning how to fit in is to develop some observation skills and then take the time to put them to good use. We highly recommend arriving a day early or setting aside your first day as an observation day. Sit at a local outdoor café, walk through a market, or relax in the park. Don’t make any other plans for that day other than to observe. You’ll be getting a wealth of information about how the locals act, and this will help you learn how to blend right in with them.

Before you ever arrive however, it pays to research your destination. Get online and start researching the country where you will be staying. Avoid “tourist” websites that only gloss over the surface of a country and instead, visit the websites for actual cities. You’d be surprised by how many small towns throughout the world have a web presence and many of them have taken the time to have their content translated into English.

This will allow you to learn about special festivals and events, and you can also get some great information about the history of the town where you will be staying as well as some hints on how people act. Look through videos online or rent some from your local library or video store to see how people live their daily lives. Even watching the news can give you some great hints into local dress and behavior.

So, now that you’ve spent your time researching and you’ve taken the time to observe the locals, it is time to take action and blend in. This means staying in hotels or hostels that are not tourist traps, or even finding locals that welcome travelers into their homes. This small step will take you far when you want to blend in. You can also learn more about how people dress and use this as inspiration for your own clothing choices. Avoiding dressing like a tourist will immediately help you blend in seamlessly.

It is also a good idea to make at least some effort to learn about the culture of the people where you will be staying, as well as how they celebrate their religions, what language they speak and what they deem as important. Take a little time to learn at least some of the language. This will help you blend in very well and the locals will appreciate your efforts to learn their native tongue, even if you do end up slaughtering it.

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