Travelling Thoughts

We recently traveled to Lisbon, Portugal, a city brimming with history and charm that we’re excited to share glimpses of with you soon on our Open Road Tales YouTube channel. And it was during our stay in an AirBnB apartment there that I was led to ponder something that will likely appear in our videos as well: the sometimes blurry line between confidence and arrogance, both in the world of travel and in life itself.

For many, travel is a cherished reward, a hard-earned escape from the daily grind. In the Nordics, at least, most of us spend a year working tirelessly, dreaming of the summer and the holiday season it brings with it, and after a year of work, those precious few weeks are for relaxation, for shedding the mundane. So, imagine starting that longed-for morning coffee ritual in the new, exciting city by discovering dirty cups and glasses in your supposedly “clean and beautiful” apartment – especially when a hefty cleaning fee was part of the deal you found online! As fellow coffee aficionados, I’m sure you can relate to that initial moment of “Seriously?”. If those cups had been as advertised, clean and ready, this blog post might never have been written. So is that a blessing in disguise?

This seemingly small incident got me thinking about how we present ourselves and our offerings, whether it’s an AirBnB listing or, indeed, a brand new YouTube channel like our Open Road Tales. There’s a necessary confidence in putting yourself out there, in believing in what you offer. Without it you cannot have a successful blog, a thriving YouTube channel, or a top-notch apartment for tourists to use.
For us, starting our YouTube journey has definitely been a significant step outside our comfort zone, much like a new AirBnB host opening their doors for the first time. But that’s where the delicate balance lies – the invisible fine line between a justified belief in your vision and the kind of know-it-all arrogance that can, and most often will, alienate others.

I’ve often believed that sharing knowledge and experiences is a way to educate and create value for others, as well as for ourselves. That’s the core of what we aim to do with both havestories.com and Open Road Tales. But sometimes, sharing can feel daunting. Since I started havestories.com, and later when we published our first, short, videos on YouTube, we have always wondered how our current and future audience will feel about this new post, or the new video… And now we can’t help but think how will bringing these two worlds together resonate, or will it feel disjointed? It’s always a leap of faith, much like trusting that your AirBnB guests will appreciate the care you’ve put into your space.

That brings me back to the dirty cups. If I were to leave a public review stating, “Dirty coffee cups – be prepared to wash them yourself!”, is that helpful feedback or just a bit vindictive? Should the initial reaction be a private message to the owner: “Hey, we noticed the cups weren’t clean – just a heads-up for future guests”? This is where the perspective of the holidayer comes in. They’ve arrived seeking rest and relaxation. Dirty dishes aren’t part of that equation. As content creators, we want to give fair and unbiased reviews, but we also don’t want to be unnecessarily harsh.

Now, speaking of smooth, relaxing, and stress-free travel, one thing that has truly simplified our journeys, especially when navigating new places for Open Road Tales, is using an e-sim. We’ve recently partnered with Saily, and it’s been a revelation! Imagine landing in a new country and instantly having data without the frantic search for a local SIM card. By clicking this link, you can choose your desired size and length of a Saily package, and receive a further 5% discount, on us, for your journeys!

The modern world, and especially the social media is awash with opportunities to critique. I, however, do believe that feedback, whether positive or constructive, should always aim to improve things, not just to vent. There’s a difference between pointing out a genuine issue that impacts a traveller’s experience and simply “yapping” because we can. Was the dirty cup situation a sign of a rushed cleaner having to already be in the next apartment, or was it a sign of a complacent owner relying on past good reviews? It’s hard to know for sure.

This whole small experience I had whilst I just wanted to have a cup of coffee before heading out to explore Lisbon underscores the importance of feedback, given with the intention of making things better. Just like we hope our content on havestories.com and Open Road Tales offers value and sparks thought, we believe in the power of constructive criticism.

If you appreciate these reflections and the insights we aim to share, and if you’d like to support our journey of creating content on both of our platforms, a small contribution through Buy Me A Coffee would be hugely appreciated! It helps fuel our explorations and keeps the coffee brewing (hopefully in clean cups!).

Ultimately, navigating the balance between confidence and humility, and knowing when and how to offer feedback, is a continuous learning process – both for AirBnB hosts, content creators like us, and everyone in between. We have to be confident enough to share our experiences with you, but also humble enough to realise that if you give us feedback, we take that in account. At the same time, you should be confident enough to leave a suggestion to us when you feel that we erred, or could do something better.

And as we are on the topic of commenting; we’d love to hear your thoughts on this! Have you ever encountered a “dirty cup” situation on your travels? How do you approach giving feedback? And are you as intrigued as we are by the world of Open Road Tales?

Please share this blog post with anyone who enjoys a bit of travel musing, especially when feeling philosophical on a balcony overlooking the Mediterranean with a cup of coffee or a glass of Tinto Verano.
You should also head over to our YouTube channel, Open Road Tales, and subscribe to see these thoughts come to life on video! We welcome your comments and suggestions on both platforms – your feedback helps us grow and create better content. Whilst feedback helps with the content, your assistance with Buy Me A Coffee helps with upgrading our equipment in due time!

Thanks for joining us on this journey!