imperfect

a gorgeous day in Etosha National Park, Namibia, 2019

I think a lot (too much?*) about social media and travel posts. Looking at Instagram and Facebook, it seems as though everyone is having the perfect vacation, right? Particularly with so-called influencers, travel is glamorous, the weather is always amazing, there are never any crowds, and all is well.

(* To be fair, some of my consulting work involves creating social media strategies for clients. And, of course, travel is one of my passions.)

On my own Instagram, I try to be authentic at all times. I rarely use filters and only lightly adjust my photos to ensure they look like what I see.

I also try to talk about the realities of each trip. I usually have a post about doing laundry because that’s essential, especially when one is a minimal packer. I talk about snafus that come up and some of our misadventures. But the fact is that I do hold some things back.

We flew to Namibia in April 2019 and the first week we were there, I had jet lag-related insomnia, was terribly constipated for several days, developed an allergic reaction to the oh-so-necessary mosquito repellent, broke out in zits, and got my period just two weeks after its last appearance. Oh, and I was dealing with ankle and foot pain (the dominant theme of 2019 for me) AND had tennis elbow. No wonder I had a hissy fit in a group chat with my friends about duvets.

Do you think I mentioned any of this on Instagram? Oh hell no, I posted photos like the one at the top and never said a damn thing about needing to carefully time my Ex-lax dose around our travel itinerary or scrounging for sanitary supplies in the literal middle of nowhere. (Kudos to my husband, whose first aid kit included those supplies because they are so absorbent in an emergency situation.)

While in Italy several years ago, I discovered that one of my two pairs of trousers had a rip in the crotch. Unfortunately, I had neglected to pack my travel sewing kit. And because this was Italy, where all forms of shopping are highly specialized, I could not find a needle and thread to purchase without tracking down an actual sewing supplies shop. Instead, I used duct tape on the inside of the seam and took care of the repair when I got home.

Did I mention this on Instagram? Nope.

In Hawaii at the beginning of 2019, I was dealing with a terrible tendinitis flare-up in my foot, along with other pain that was so bad that we considered finding an urgent care facility**. Did I mention in any of my posts on Instagram that I could barely walk? Again, nope. I posted yet another photo of a stunning sunset and said nothing.

(** I did see my doctor right after we returned, and I would eventually have extensive surgery 10 months later.)

As I think about it, I wonder if I'm doing my followers a disservice. I talk about other realities of travel — mishaps, dirty laundry, our travel budget — so why don't I just share some of these other more humiliating stories?

I guess part of it is vanity. And partly a little denial; I just don't want to admit to myself that I'm having anything less than the most amazing time. And also I don't want to complain because I know how fortunate I am to be able to travel as much as I do and I don't want to seem to be complaining.

But going forward, maybe I should be a little more open about some of my travel realities; share some of the things that occur and talk about how I deal with them.

Well, maybe not all of it. I mean, does anyone want to hear about gastrointestinal distress? Mmmm, probably not.