By Kerry Mastrobuoni
When did we stop simply traveling and start documenting the evidence that we traveled?
Somewhere along the way, vacation became part adventure, part photo shoot. We don’t just want to see the Eiffel Tower—we want the photograph proving we saw it.
Are we traveling for the experience, or just to post?
Travel has always been about collecting memories. We took photographs long before social media existed. We bought postcards, saved ticket stubs, and brought home souvenirs.
But something about traveling today feels different to me.
We can share every meal, every sunset, and every hotel room with thousands of people before we’ve even had a chance to experience it ourselves.
There is nothing wrong with taking the perfect photo. In fact, I’m all for it. I love that a photograph can transport me right back to a place I’ve visited years later.
But I can’t help but wonder if capturing the moment is becoming more important than actually being in it.
We’ve all seen it: a famous landmark surrounded by people holding their phones at arm’s length, trying to get the perfect angle. We’ve waited in line at a restaurant because it went viral online. We’ve driven across town because someone called a particular cafО “the most Instagrammable in the city.”
And perhaps we’ve all been guilty of it.
I know I have.
But some of my favorite travel memories probably wouldn’t make anyone’s “Top 10 Things to Do” list.
They are the little moments that were never planned.
The restaurant we stumbled upon because we were hungry.
The conversation with a stranger who somehow made an unfamiliar city feel a little more welcoming.
The wrong turn that led us somewhere spectacular.
The afternoon when we ditched the itinerary to just wander.
For me, traveling isn’t really about checking places off a list.
It’s about curiosity.
It’s about stepping outside what is familiar and allowing yourself to be surprised.
It’s about discovering that the world doesn’t always look the way you imagined it would.
We live in a world where we can research almost everything before we arrive. We can see the hotel room, read thousands of reviews, watch videos of the resort, and plan every detail months in advance.
Convenience is wonderful. But I wonder if we’ve planned away some of the mystery.
There was a time when part of the adventure was not knowing exactly what you’d find.
I miss that. I’m trying to be more aware of this myself.
Put the phone down and eat somewhere without checking the reviews first.
Sit at a cafО and watch the city go by.
Talk to someone.
And yes, take the photograph—but take it because you want to remember how you felt, not because you need to prove to everyone that you were there.
Because years from now, I’m not sure we’ll remember how many likes a vacation photograph received.
But we’ll remember the sunset.
We’ll remember the laughter.
We’ll remember the person we were with—or the people we met.
We’ll remember the feeling of standing somewhere completely new and realizing just how big the world really is.
Maybe that’s the real luxury: not seeing everything, but being completely present for something.
So the next time you travel, ask yourself a simple question before you reach for your phone:
Am I experiencing this – or am I just capturing it?
Take the picture.
Then put the phone away.
Look around.
Your greatest memory might be happening right in front of you.
And it may not need a filter.
Until next time, leave a little room for the unknown. Let the maps get tangled, let the battery run low, and trust that the best views are the ones saved entirely in your mind. The world is putting on a magnificent show right now—don’t look through a lens so small that you miss it.
I’d love to hear from you! Share your travel tips, ideas, and inspiration at Kerryscompass@longislandmediagroup.com. Always let your compass lead you somewhere worth remembering.
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